Gondo floated through the neon door into a new reality. It was similar to one that he was familiar with. He was in space assuredly, but this was different from the bleak glimpses he had captured in his previous Scrys. The normally dark and lonely nothingness around him was filled with color. Bands of light ran across the tenebrosity like multi colored cirrus clouds. Something akin to the aurora borealis pulsed in the distance. The space that had once been so black was a tapestry of color, stars gleaming hugely towards him in a multitude of shades. As he gazed outwards and upwards he could see the cosmic web itself, the structure of the universe as it coalesced around him.

He raised his hands in front of his face and he could still see them. He looked behind him and saw a long silver cord reaching back into the kaleidoscopic panorama. What the fuck?

Gondo was no stranger to psychedelic experiences. There was a full semester dedicated to experimentation at the Academy. This was something entirely new, and it was real.

He was so enthralled he barely registered the frantic response from his hysterical team. Lowell’s voice echoed into his mind, “Gondo! We lost you for a second there! Are you ok? Your vitals are fine but your brainwaves are off the charts. Do you need evac? Talk to us!”

He was unsure how to respond. Was he ok? His astral form felt incredible, as though he was physically there. But had he had a mental break? Was he even still alive?

“I’m... ok. The Moonshield seems to have increased my senses. I’ve been at a full Scry for... I don’t know how long.”

His gaze wandered around the starfield, soaking up the brilliant hues surrounding him. He looked down at his astral body again.

“You guys are not going to believe this.” he said with a grin.

The asteroid that he was sent to investigate was directly before him. His targeting was dead on. Instead of the dull grey and black blob that he normally glimpsed for an instant he beheld an iridescent marvel. Its surface was alternately silver, bronze and copper. Small bright cracks broke the metal sheen and sent out waves of light.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

It took a massive amount of computing power to process a normal Scry and verify its potential. Once inputted into the mainframe the recording would be analyzed and cross-referenced to all previous documented Scrys available to determine the makeup of the object.

What Gondo was seeing now needed no interpretation. He could actually see the rare metals in small deposits shining on the surface, and blasting their light through the cracks in the asteroid.

That was when he noticed the Pull. Its spectral call beckoned him into the ever, stronger than any time before. He felt his mind being siphoned outwards in all directions. It was impossible to resist.

“PULL ME OUT! HURRY!” the words shot through his mind before he quickly dissipated into darkness.

...

A dreamless sleep descended onto Gondo. A total emptiness of thought. Time went about its business as he lay slumbering on a cot in the corner of the lab, Ignasius and Lowell waiting dutifully by his side for his awakening. They had already downloaded the recording and experienced it. This was a planet shattering discovery, but right now they were just worried about their friend. He had been sleeping for 12 hours. The normal turnaround on a successful Cast would be more like 2 hours or less for Gondo.

“His brain seems fine. All his scans just show normal deep sleep patterns. What he saw...” Lowell stated as though Ignasius was unaware. They had been a bit jittery since they had finished reviewing the Scry. In a world where dreams were viewed for entertainment, nothing was shocking anymore. One could easily download a cosmic paradise as readily as they could experience a never-ending hellscape. The reality of this recording was something altogether different.

The robot turned its frame’s direction from Gondo to Lowell. “Be assured he is in no current danger. The strain on his mind must have been too much. I am confident he will awake soon...”

Just as Ignasius finished his sentence, Gondo began to stir.

...

The trio sat at their conference table, Gondo wearing a garish silk robe he kept in the lab. He blew steam from a cup of coffee so strong he could sense the air particles zipping around the mug. He needed it.

“Run that by me again...” he drawled sleepily to Ignasius. It was about 16 hours since he finished his Cast.

“No need to mince words here my friend, what just happened was remarkable. I’ve further analyzed the data and it seems the Moonshield induced a highly receptive and persistent state unlike anything we’ve seen in astral travel to date.”

Lowell smiled to Gondo, “Congratulations, you’ve just scored the longest Scry in the recorded history of Casting.”

The concept floored him. It didn’t seem real.

“I think this calls for a celebration.”