The thrill of Casting was like nothing he had ever experienced in the waking world. Imagine the high that a skydiver got when pushing off from an aircraft and dropping into thin air, then multiply that by several thousand. It was so intense that it could take trainees years to be able to hang onto their consciousness enough to remain lucid at their goal. Gondo lived for this feeling.

As his mind soared through the unfathomable reaches of the stars, he made sure to continue the routines that kept him dreaming. The chemicals in his body helped, but it also took a huge amount of mental fortitude and psychic channeling to keep lucidity.

The process of the Cast took only an instant in real time, but it was interpreted differently in the mind of the Caster. In fact, it was amazingly easy to lose yourself in that moment of revelry and keep going on and on into the vacuum. Casters called it “The Pull”. Something beckoning from the edges of the cosmos. Countless travelers had succumbed to its siren call, their minds cartwheeling off into nothingness, slowly draining of light as they left their material bodies behind. Their empty shells would be euthanized and burned by the A.E.C. Another log on the fire.

Gondo himself had always been curious about what exactly was reaching out, beckoning souls to oblivion. Was it simply the mind trying to figure out the puzzle of infinite space? Or was it the great dragon on the corner of the map, ready to gobble up wayward adventurers. Whatever it was, he had always felt the Pull. He even had some colleagues that had blanked. He often wondered how far they drifted into the ether, what they saw there before they faded away.

The concept of astral travel was mentioned through history as far back as the Egyptians. Japanese and Hindu cultures both contained recountings of out of body experiences. The common theme of the Self becoming a sphere or circular body of light pervaded in most of these tales. What had they seen, and how far had they travelled? Gondo had studied this history extensively, but sadly the concept was regarded as myth until more recent times.

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The thrill of the Cast subsided suddenly, meaning Gondo should be in position. Normally, all he had to do now was open his third eye for as long as he could and record the information around him. Today however, would be different.

Lowell’s voice echoed in his mind. “Ok Gondo, you’re looking great out there. In a moment I’m going to administer the Moonshield. We’ve tested this but never on an active Cast, so be prepared for anything. If there are any problems we’re pulling you back.”

Gondo centered himself and sought the meditative calm he had practiced most of his life. He cleared his mind of all thoughts and entered deeply into his focus. He drifted calmly as the body light years away began to receive the formula.

Like a switch had flipped his mind began to be assaulted by colored waves. Something was very wrong. Dazzling lights shot by him in rapid succession. It was all he could do to hold onto himself as his mind was beaten down by massive sheets of punishing luminescent energy, coming faster and faster until he felt like he would lose lucidity. Why had they not pulled him out?

As suddenly as it began the assault abated. He floated in the utter darkness. He tried frantically to contact Lowell or Ignasius mentally, but to no avail. The silence was as deep as the void around him. Panic started coursing through him. Where were the stars?

He unconsciously attempted to rub his eyes with his hands. Remarkably, he was able to. As his hands moved away from his face he could see them. They were bright blue and eliciting the same eerie glow as the Moonshield. He looked down and saw his entire body had formed here, wherever that was. He was naked, his features obscured by the blue phasing that surrounded him.

In the far distance he noticed a small speck of green light. It began to grow as it slowly approached him, eventually forming into a doorway framed in neon green. He reached his weird blue hand to the doorknob and turned. Magnificence opened before him.