Even Stephen

In Short

This science fiction short story follows Stephen, a rigid and law-abiding biological technician, who is kidnapped by a notorious criminal named Turpan. They end up trapped on an isolated island where a group of visionary scientists has attempted to establish a utopian commune behind a "Molein Field" space barrier. As Turpan quickly manipulates the colonists and assumes the role of a brutal dictator, Stephen must navigate a world of shifting allegiances to save the colony. It remains a fascinating look at the fragility of social contracts and the persistence of human nature.

The Story

The story opens on a high-tech future Earth, where Stephen, a technician for Mnemonic Manufactures, is abducted by a flamboyant and violent fugitive named Turpan. Armed with an illegal moisture rifle capable of vaporizing human flesh, Turpan forces Stephen to pilot his skimmercar toward the Pacific. Their escape leads them through a massive, unnatural cloud—a Molein Field—which deposits them on a remote island.

Turpan, who revels in his reputation as the "Bedchamber Assassin," explains that this island is a sovereign colony founded by idealistic scientists attempting to escape government control. Upon landing, they are confronted by the colony’s Planner. The colonists, who hold all human life as sacred and are committed to a rigid system of numerical sexual pairing, offer the two men asylum on the condition of permanent celibacy. Turpan, recognizing the colonists’ lack of weaponry and their fear of bloodshed, quickly seizes control of the island, declaring himself dictator.

Turpan’s reign is marked by chaos and the slow erosion of the colonists' high-minded ideals. He orchestrates a Bacchanalian festival to keep the population distracted and divided. Meanwhile, Stephen, forced into servitude as Turpan’s personal assistant, finds an unlikely ally in Ellen, a woman who is desperate to escape the degradation of the new regime. Ellen reveals that the colonists have been planning a secret coup to overthrow Turpan.

Stephen, choosing to aid the rebellion while trying to minimize casualties, lures Turpan into a trap on a high, rocky cliff. By exploiting Turpan’s physical ineptitude on the crags, Stephen manages to disarm him and seize the moisture rifle. With the tyrant captured, the colony faces a dilemma: they cannot execute him without violating their own charter, nor can they release him. Stephen, utilizing his expertise as a biological technician, performs a procedure on the captive.

The story concludes with a surprising twist. Turpan is not executed but is instead biologically and socially transformed. As the "former" criminal emerges from the tent, it is revealed that he has been turned into a woman. Turpan flees in shame, while the colonists, now rid of their oppressor, return to their original social structure. Stephen, having proven his value, finds himself integrated into the community, finally shedding his status as an "untouchable" outsider.

How It Unfolds

The abduction Stephen is snatched from his routine by a violent criminal named Turpan, who forces him to pilot a skimmercar toward the ocean. This unexpected intrusion threatens the mundane, orderly existence Stephen has cultivated through his work.

The arrival at Utopia The duo passes through a mysterious, protective energy barrier and lands on an island inhabited by a group of idealistic scientists. They are welcomed with the strict condition that they must live as celibates within the colony’s carefully balanced society.

The rise of a dictator Turpan immediately identifies the weakness in the colonists’ pacifism and uses his rifle to intimidate them into submission. He effectively dismantles their governance, replacing their collective planning with his own self-serving, authoritarian rule.

The rebellion Stephen learns of a secret plot by the colonists to reclaim their freedom through force. He navigates a dangerous path between his role as the dictator’s servant and his growing sympathy for the rebels, ultimately helping to orchestrate a trap.

The final transformation Following a tactical confrontation on the cliffs, Turpan is disarmed and captured. In a quiet, clinical resolution, Stephen performs a procedure that strips the tyrant of his identity and power, leaving the colony to resume its experiment in peace.

The People

Stephen is a quintessential "company man," a biological technician whose life is defined by the rigid schedules and elevated status of work. He views himself as a dull, stolid figure, yet his technical knowledge and adaptability become the colony's greatest asset.

Turpan is the "Bedchamber Assassin," a charismatic, narcissistic nihilist who despises labor and thrives on the misery of others. He views women as "lesser" beings and believes that his own superiority justifies his violent, predatory behavior.

The Planner serves as the face of the utopian experiment. He represents the potential for high-minded intellectualism, yet he proves to be tragically naive, unable to reconcile his pacifist principles with the reality of a threat that doesn't share them.

Ellen is a disillusioned colonist who feels the weight of the social expectations placed upon her. She is the first to suggest the rebellion, and her survival instinct and desperation drive the plot toward its ultimate resolution.

In Its Own Voice

"It only takes one man to destroy a pacifist Utopia--if he has a gun, and will use it!"

This opening line captures the core conflict between the vulnerable idealism of the settlers and the predatory nature of their captor.

"I have already killed once today," he said, "and it is not yet eleven o'clock."

Turpan uses this threat to establish his casual, terrifying disregard for life the moment he invades Stephen’s personal space.

"I am only a technician, remember? The hated ruling class of the Technocracy that you left."

Stephen reflects on the social stigma of his own background as he realizes that his skills are both a bridge to and a barrier from the colonists' world.

What It's Really About

At its heart, the story questions whether a utopia can ever be truly independent of human nature. The author explores the tension between intellectual, rule-bound societies and the raw, violent power that often seeks to exploit them. It argues that pacifism, while noble, can become a fatal weakness when it refuses to acknowledge the existence of "unregenerates"—those who act outside the social contract. The resolution, which relies on a scientific "correction" of the tyrant rather than a moral triumph, suggests that when words and ethics fail, technical intervention may be the only tool left to restore order.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy vintage science fiction with a philosophical bite will find much to appreciate here. The story moves with a sharp, brisk pace, favoring plot-driven consequences over long-winded exposition. It is a quintessential piece of its era, reflecting mid-century anxieties about technology, the "technocrat" versus the "individual," and the dream of escaping a crowded, conformist world.

There are certainly dated elements: the "Zarathustra"-quoting villain feels like a relic of a specific literary tradition, and the period-typical attitudes toward gender dynamics—both within the colony's "numerical pairing" and in the dictator's misogynistic worldview—will feel antiquated to modern readers. However, these elements serve the story’s central theme of a society struggling to reconcile its high ideals with the messy, primal realities of human desire and power.

The prose is precise and occasionally sardonic, mirroring Stephen’s own dry, technician-like perspective on the unfolding madness. While the ending is startling and may leave some feeling unsettled, it is a logical, if cold, conclusion to the problem posed in the first paragraph. It is a brisk, thought-provoking read for anyone interested in the darker side of human experiments.