Part 8: One Star Dragonball

Cira entered into the office and bowed. "Searching through Doctor Brief's office. I think I found something you may enjoy."

Ian looked up from the tablet. Cira held out a small white device with a screen. It bleeped. He understood it was tracking something, but what? "What's this for?"

Cira handed him a small thumb drive. "I read a little bit, but couldn't tell exactly what it was for. I do know it searches for these artifacts called Dragonballs. There's more of his notes on the thumb drive. I didn't have time to do any more research than that. I had to take out a security guard as it was."

Plugging in the thumb drive into his computer, files game up. Various research files. For propulsion drive which would come into handy for his spaceships. There was also files for the Lazarus Project, and something else called the Light Project. All of which he should really read, but the other file was what enticed him more. The Dragonball Project.

He opened it up and was met with pages upon pages of research. From myths, to future projects. He had planned to use it as an energy source. Apparently they were a source of unlimited energy.

Ian browsed through the pages on the myths. People sought them for power and immortality. Immortality, something he already obtained for the most part. Power though... From one source, it said when you bring all seven of them together, it'd grant one wish. Anything. Seven huh?

He looked at the device. Two of them popped up. Studying the device, he pushed another button that displayed one. It was about fifty miles south of there. He pressed another button and it zoomed out. Hitting it again, it zoomed out further, to show four. Again, a fifth one popped up. Once more, and two others showed up, though a few of them appeared to be moving.

"Looks like people are searching for them." He had money, but more money would help. He could be absolutely filthy rich. "Get the shuttle ready, we're going after them."

Cira left Ian alone. This wasn't going to be easy. Thoughts back to movies that have been playing with treasure hunters. God only knows what kind of stuff they'd run into on their trip. He got up and left his office. He'd need to prepare. The shuttle could get them to places they wouldn't normally be able to reach, and he could easily do the rest with his powers. An advantage of gaining the demon's abilities.

It didn't take long to get ready. The shuttle was prepped and soon they were off. Per the device, the dragonball was on the southern coast. Ian felt uncomfortable in the clothing he had chosen. He felt dirty. An off white shirt and tan khakis along with hiking boots. His head felt naked without his hat, but he knew if he took it, it'd be ruined. It was bad enough they got as dirty as they did dealing with that land situation.

The shuttle soared through the air, speeding toward its destination with Cira as pilot and Muscles across from Ian as a body guard. Both had proven to be able bodied thugs. Muscles himself was coming a long way from being just a thug on the streets of Hica. He'd learned a lot from what Ian was teaching him as Ian had learned a lot from what Muscles had taught him.

"Sir, we're about two minutes out", Cira called out.

"Keep her in the air, Muscles and I will bail out when we're over the site." Both were Kanassan, two he had met when they tried to rob him. It took the death of their companion to get them on his side, but they followed regardless.

Since hearing about the dragonballs, he had been thinking about what he wanted. Money was certainly important. But how much? How much was he allowed to wish for? Five zeni? A million? Fifty million? Unlimited amount of funds? He still had work to do and plenty of time to find out. There were some he'd have to take from people.

His thoughts passed the time and almost seemed like a second later, Cira was calling out that they had arrived. The shuttle stopped and hovered over a beach. It was blocked off to the rest and can only get to it by flight which meant someone wouldn't be able to simply come across it.

The hatch opened up and Muscles was out first, lowering himself to the ground by his energy. Ian followed suit but stopped midway, looking at the cliff face. He connected a wireless communication device to his ear.

"Unfortunately the device doesn't show the exact location. It can be in this area anywhere. Search the beach, I'll get the cliff side." Ian knew Muscle's concentration wasn't great when it came to utilizing his energy which meant it was up to Ian to search high places. That was fine, though Ian hated the feeling of his energy leaving him.

He studied the cliff face. It was rough and jagged from the ocean. It was low tide right now, but in a couple of hours, it'd be high tide and the cliff face would get battered by the ocean. They may also loose their chance to find the dragonball until tomorrow and with a couple of others on the move, they weren't the only ones searching for them.

He studied the device that the documentation said was a dragonball radar. Their ball was here somewhere. He started from the left of the nook until he was no longer centered on the dot and began looking up and down the cliff and even on the ridge of it.

Cira sat in the shuttle keeping his own eyes open for it, scanning the cliff face and making a run around the top of it to see if he could catch a glimpse of it. If he knew how they were hidden, it'd make the searching so much easier. Are those that make the wish compelled to hide them again? Or have they never been found till now? But with the mythology and the research, they had to have been found previously. Certainly they didn't have a life of their own, did they? Maybe it was like the legends he's been reading about, where only the deserving are allowed to find them. That'd certainly take his boss out of the picture.

Though he'd follow him and die for him, ain't no way in hell he was a saint. Though he'd rather be the serpent's slave than his enemy. He still remembers what he did to his friend. A man with that kind of power is one to be feared. Besides, he was treated well enough and paid more than he'd ever thought was possible. Plus the work was a bit easier and most of the time he was off on his own. Which meant Izon trusted him, which also meant it was easier to work. Just did what he's told and if he's spotted anything more, then he'd report it.

Muscles had a tougher job though. He noticed new bruises ever day, but that is what the man liked. And training with Izon could not be easy. Though he could tell Muscles was definitely getting stronger.

Ian froze. He'd found a hole and saw something orange within. It was deep. "Hey guys, I may have found it. Stay clear, it's gonna take a bit of explosive power to get it." The shuttle and Muscles moved away, as did Ian.

He pointed his hands forward and concentrated. His fingers rolled in like he was gripping something. The rocks shook loose, tumbling to the ground. The earth vibrated on the pressure of energy Ian was using.

As if he pulled the entire cliff face apart with his bare hands, the cliff exploded under the pressure of energy. Rocks and plants fell. Maybe it was a bit too much. He hadn't been able to fully control it yet, but he was getting there.

Once the rocks and dust settled, there was a massive gash where the ball was. The ball was no where to be seen. "Shit. Hang on."

One by one, he lifted boulders and chucked them into the ocean, sifting through the wreckage with his powers. The shuttle had to move positions again to avoid being hit. Muscles stood by, awaiting his orders as he usually did. Several boulders later, he found it. A small orange ball that glistened in the sun, regardless of the dust that had settled on it.

It was the most gorgeous thing he had seen. "I found it." It had a star on it. A single star which he took it to mean it was the first in the set. Though he could be wrong. "We've got more work to do." He lifted into the sky with Muscles and boarded the shuttle. He had much work to do, but with others searching for the dragonballs, they were not safe.

TWC:1512