Diggers: The Sharp Edge of the Universe (2 page)

Finn had seen far too many parents on the social deck herd their kids to another part of the pool or play area, away from the Diggers, to even consider defending their intelligence and integrity. Everyone knew it didn’t take brains to push a button or maneuver a VirtualBot Arm to dig a hole.

“How do you know?” Finn asked.

“Training that day.”
Reggie traced his finger along the wall as they slowly walked toward the hover.

“Wait. You were there? You actually
saw
Mr. Fishborne pull the metal out of the hole?
Holy space junk, Reg.”
Finn clasped Reggie’s arms with both hands. “Tell me everything.”

“Just did.” Reggie moved around Finn and continued to follow a neon blue line along the carpet floor.

“Okay, okay. The Diggers found it first.” It was a waste of time to try to argue with Reggie.

“Yup,” Reggie said.

The boys headed along several corridors to the only hover descending down to the Dock Level.

“Oh…dang.
I uh…forgot my…” Finn said, backing away from the hover doors as they whooshed open.

“’Kay,” Reggie shrugged. “I’ll cover for yuh.”

Finn slapped Reggie on the shoulder. “Thanks. I promise this will be the last night.”

Reggie shrugged again and squeezed into the loaded hover. He was easily the tallest person there, and no one seemed to want to accidentally brush up against him. They seemed to think the
brown in his uniform might be actual dirt, like he’d been digging holes by hand like some ancient cave dweller.

A few minutes later, panting from the run, Finn slid his fake security card over the access card scanner and the doors whooshed open. “Hello, Mrs. Margaret O’Reilly,” ELAINA cooed.

This second entry into the Science Lab was a recovery mission. After another longing look at the new discovery, Finn slumped down and made his way on all fours over to the two boxes of slides marked KEEP and TRASH. The person updating the microscope slides had only made it to the M’s since the previous day. Finn gathered all of the slides and stuffed them into his pockets, careful not to catch his fingers on the sharp glass edges.

He couldn't understand how so many people could walk past the best place on the entire space station without even glancing through the window. He’d never been seen by a single person, even when he spent hours poring over science books and journals.

Finn dreamed of the day when he’d be a Scientist. In his mind’s eye he could see people craning their necks to get a peek at him as he walked past with Captain Windblown, both of them whispering about some new discovery.

“AAAAAAEEEEE!”

Jasper jumped into Finn’s lap and nudged Finn’s chin.

“Geez, Jasper. You almost gave me a heart attack,” he gasped, clutching his chest. “How the heck did you get in here?”

Jasper kneaded Finn’s pant leg, curled up, and closed his eyes. Finn scooped up the cat and slung him over his shoulder, then made sure the cat hadn’t crushed any of the slides in his pocket. Crouching down, he slid underneath the huge window, glancing in every direction, even though he knew no one else was there.

“Goodbye, Mrs. Margaret O’Reilly,” ELAINA called in her pearly voice.

Dull classes and droning teachers a distant memory, Finn headed for his bedroom with Jasper in his arms. The moment he walked through the door, he grabbed his science gear from a hole in the back of his dresser, shoved the wad of clothes and blankets off his bed, and set up the microscope he’d saved from the trash destroyer. It had a hairline crack in the lens, but other than that, the instrument worked perfectly.

The M’s were by far the coolest discoveries, but also the most infuriating. Ninety percent of the M’s had some form of Mikayla’s name in them. Of all the people and places Mr. Fishborne could have chosen to name his discoveries after, he had to choose the lamest person in the entire Milky Way.

Finn pulled the first slide out of his pocket and shoved it under the microscope.
Mikalandnium.
Finn already knew from experience that this soft metal would blow all over the room if he so much as breathed. Removing the slide, he placed it carefully in the slide box he’d also rescued from the trash.

He pulled the next slide out of his pocket.
Mikandobacterium.
Except for the name, this had proved to be one of his favorites. When airborne, the bacteria caused people to bloat and pass wind for days and days. Finn laughed at the memory of the first time one of the lab assistants had made the discovery. Finn was seven, and school had to be closed due to dangerous amounts of methane gas in the area. Everyone had thanked Mikayla for closing all the schools because of her hot air.

Finn pushed the next slide under the microscope's light. Mikandomegamorgamus—a flake from the wing of the gigantic fossilized butterfly Mr. Fishborne had found on Gamus Three. The Science Lab had discovered that the fossils littering the area just below the planet’s crust burned
ten times longer than the manmade fuels used by Earth’s different civilizations. Though these fossils didn’t give off any dangerous polluting gases, which made them boring in Finn’s mind, Mr. Fishborne had been written up in every
Newspad
on every colony in the entire Milky Way for that one discovery alone.

Finn worked his way carefully through the slides he’d saved from destruction. Hours later, he looked up at his time reader and jumped off his bed. Jasper flicked his eyes open and shut a few times while Finn hurried to clean up the new additions to his collection before his mom came through the door.

Finn had just placed the microscope in its hiding spot when he heard ELAINA greet his mom. He threw on his pajamas, flipped his covers in the air, and landed in his bed.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Maggie O’Reilly said from Finn’s door.

“Huh?
Oh, hi, Mom.”
Finn faked rubbing his eyes and exaggerated a long yawn.

“So, we’ll need to talk to you about missing another day of classes,” she said.

“Uh…no.
I….” He fumbled over the lie.

“Save it, Finn. I got a call from Quinn saying you weren’t in class.” Maggie fixed him with a lie-crushing glare.

“Sorry, Mom.
I just…” Finn couldn’t finish.

“I know. I know.” The sadness is Maggie’s voice made Finn look down at his blankets.

“We’ll talk on Sunday, after your birthday party tomorrow,” Maggie said. “Night, Finn. I love you.”

Finn lay back in bed and wondered if he’d be able to tell his mom and dad the truth this time.

The guilt from the past thirty seconds quickly faded, and his brain easily switched to a much better vision.

His birthday party.

He was going to turn twelve tomorrow.

Chapter 3: Roller Coasters and Bullies

On Saturday evening, a group of the meatiest kids ever—and Finn—were crammed into his kitchen waiting to leave for the Amusement Park Deck. If Finn had his way, Reggie would’ve been the only friend coming, but Diggers were like parasites. His mom had made him invite every kid from his class, and—of course—they’d all said yes. Diggers might not be the smartest people on
Vortex
, but they knew the word “free.”

“You’re so lucky to have Quinn for a brother.” Alesha McGovern, known as Gibraltar, goggled over at Quinn, who stood in the middle of the group laughing and joking with everyone.

“Lucky.” Finn had a sudden desire to crush a chair over his brother’s head, or even better, pull out old baby holopictures of him running around in nothing but dad’s work boots.

“Hey, Noodle,” Quinn called from the center of his groupies. “How old are you gonna be? Nine?”

Giggles raced around the group.

“I’m twelve today, Bear,” Finn said. “But you wouldn’t know because you can’t count that high.”

Quinn started to say something else, but apparently decided against it when their mom came rushing into the room and began herding everyone out the door.

They headed to the hover in a huge mass of bodies, Finn trailing behind, as usual. The group forced anyone walking down the hallway to slam up against the wall just to make room for them to pass.

Finn didn’t care about any of these kids. All he wanted to do was ride the Mach 1, the fastest roller coaster on the Amusement Park Deck. The roller coaster couldn’t actually accelerate to Mach 1 because of the interference breaking the sound barrier would cause the Space Station, but it came close. Finn had passed out the first time he’d ridden because he’d barely managed to breathe in the compression suit everyone had to wear in order to go on the colossal ride.

Over a hundred decks and dozens of clear, walled corridors lay between the pods that connected to form the space station. As they walked through the glass corridors, everyone could see into the inky galaxy, but no one, not even Finn, glanced at the planet they orbited. They were all too excited for their day of fun.

Twenty minutes later, the mass of Diggers pushed through the ticket line and headed in every direction. The amusement park ran a close second on Finn’s list of cool places on
Vortex
, but the Science Lab always held first prize.

“There's Mach 1.” His mouth dropped open, and Finn stared upward at the goliath of all roller coasters on
Vortex
.

Reggie began to violently shake his head. “Not doing it.”

“Come on!” Finn yanked Reggie toward the line.

The moment the Diggers showed up, the smaller kids left. Usually, it bothered Finn when the other kids shying away from them, but not today. The thinned-out line meant it only took two runs before he and Reggie were suited up and ready for their turn. Sliding into the two-person pod, they strapped in.

Finn could barely contain his excitement when ELAINA started to speak. “Please keep all heads, hands, feet, flippers, tentacles, and other extremities inside the roller coaster pod at all times to avoid possible loss of limbs or heads. All exoskeleton beings require an upgraded compression suit. Please make sure that every head you possess has a helmet securely strapped onto it.”

ELAINA's warnings lasted another three minutes, but Finn didn't bother to listen. He ignored Reggie whimpering next to him as he waited for the countdown.

“Countdown commencing,” ELAINA’s smooth voice announced at the end of her long list of warnings. “Ten.
Nine.
Eight….”

Reggie squeezed his eyes shut and gripped the safety bar. Finn elbowed him, but he wouldn’t look. This was Finn’s favorite part of the ride—the ten seconds sitting in the starting zone, the highest spot in the entire amusement park. Well, technically, the top of the coaster rose higher, but they’d be going way too fast to see anything up there.

The people below looked like bugs and he could see every single ride. The water park at the other end of the amusement park bustled with people, and a long line snaked out the door for the old-fashioned movie theatre with the big, flat screen.

“…Two, One.
Ignition,” ELAINA cooed.

“Nnnnoooo!”
Reggie screamed as the coaster blasted fifteen stories straight up. As the coaster took a hairpin turn and started its windy decent, Reggie’s screams became lost somewhere behind them.

Finn held on and might have screamed, but he didn’t know for sure. The compression suit did its job—when he remembered to breathe. They weaved and swirled up and up, then down and down. He couldn’t tell if Reggie was still conscious. It would be the first time Reggie hadn’t passed out.

“Thank you for riding the Mach 1.” ELAINA’s voice marked the end of thirty-three seconds of pure adrenaline rush. “Please come back soon.”

Finn had to shove Reggie back, unstrap him, and drag him out of the seat before his friend finally started to come around.

“Not doing it again,” Reggie said when he could finally form words.

“Come on, Reg!” Finn pulled him to his feet. “Let’s find something to eat.”

Reggie’s face had turned an oozing shade of green, and he didn’t seem too excited about food, but he followed Finn to the snack area anyway.

They sat under the fake sun and ate a double scoop of real ice cream each, so far, a good birthday.

“What are you nasty Diggers doing over here?” A massive, round boy wearing the green uniform of the arboretum and greenhouse caretakers, stood in front of them. One fat hand resting on his round belly, the boy stared at Finn and Reggie.

“Eating,” Reggie said.

Finn stifled a laugh.

“Oh, you think your friend is funny?” the boy said. “You both know we don’t want your kind around here.” The boy waved his hand around to indicate all the other tables.

A few people nodded. Some looked away. The rest whispered.

“Leave.” Reggie stood up. He loomed a full head and shoulders taller than the boy, but Finn guessed they weighed about the same.

“Leave,” the boy mimicked. A few snickers echoed back.

“You heard my friend.” Finn stood up too, half a head shorter than the kid, but he didn’t care. “Leave us alone.”