The Return of the Philosophers' Stone 1.

Thomas MacCutcheon, scientist and doctor in two material sciences, was hired by the Department of War to develop a lens that would resist being destroyed by the lasers in development in other confidential departments. No one was more experienced in this field, and he was confident that the formula he developed would stand the high energy put out by the latest laser, but his best effort kept developing a defect in the material he cast in the form of a windowpane-a defect that looked like a crystal knot hole. After a long day and many attempts at casting a lens, Thomas saw the same defect show up in his solidified pane, and he tossed the pane on a nearby lab table where it shattered and was strewn all around and on the top of the table. Disappointed in himself at making such a mess, he turned to retrieve a brush and dustpan so he could clean up his mess. When he turned back to the mess, he was astounded to find that the table was gone and only the crystal shards that fell to the ground were still present. Slowly approaching the area where the table used to be, Thomas slowly waved his hand back and forth until he suddenly felt the table. He carefully placed the palm of his hand at different spots of the tabletop when he suddenly felt a lump of material among the sharp pieces of broken pane, and upon contact with the lump, he fainted. The rest of the story showed how MacCutcheon discovered the use of the crystal, how it was affected by light, and how he utilized the crystal in numerous adventures.