Never Come Midnight

In Short

This novella explores the intersection of ambition, spite, and the high cost of eternal life. When a famous inventor dies and his mysterious son returns to claim the estate, a legal executor uncovers a terrifying truth: the "son" is actually the inventor, reborn through alien intervention. As humanity faces an existential threat from an encroaching alien race, the protagonist finds himself trapped in an endless existence alongside the very man he spent a lifetime hating. It is a cynical, character-driven study of how petty grievances can shape the fate of civilizations.

The Story

Jan Shortmire, an elderly, embittered inventor of starship engines, seeks a way to evade death. He strikes a deal with the Morethans—a race of "immortals" from a distant, dying planet—who offer him eternal youth in exchange for his service. Shortmire travels to Morethis, where he undergoes an agonizing process of physical regression, emerging as "Emrys Shortmire," his own supposed son. He returns to Earth to claim his inheritance, intending to indulge in every pleasure he was denied in his previous life.

However, the transition is not a clean slate. Emrys carries the heavy, stagnant soul of the old man within a youthful, alien-enhanced body. He spends years in decadent isolation, reveling in earthly and exotic vices while harboring a corrosive hatred for Nicholas Dyall, a rival inventor who also received an extension of his life and achieved greater popularity with the public. Emrys’s obsession with Dyall is fueled by the realization that Dyall’s life mirrors his own success and frustrations.

The plot thickens when Emrys encounters Megan, a woman of striking beauty who appears to be the perfect companion. He falls for her, believing he has finally found an authentic emotional connection. But the illusion shatters when he discovers that Megan is a mechanical doll created by Dyall—a simulacrum of his own long-dead wife. The revelation that Dyall was offered the same alien bargain but rejected it forces Emrys to confront his own moral inferiority.

As the Morethans arrive to begin their parasitic consumption of humanity, Emrys realizes he is bound to them through the alien pills that sustain his life. He is essentially a machine of their creation. Desperate to assert his superiority over the deceased Dyall and to find a purpose that will secure his legacy, Emrys commits himself to a new, monumental task: inventing intergalactic engines capable of transporting humanity to a different galaxy, effectively fleeing the Morethan threat. The lawyer Peter Hubbard, watching these events unfold, concludes that the world survives not because of noble intentions, but because the petty, vengeful ego of a man like Emrys provides the necessary drive to outrun destruction.

How It Unfolds

The death of an inventor Jan Shortmire, wealthy and nearing his end, arranges to pass his estate to an unknown heir before departing for the distant planet Morethis. His legal executor, Peter Hubbard, is left to manage the affairs of a man who died under mysterious, "accidental" circumstances.

The arrival of the heir Five years later, Emrys Shortmire appears to claim the inheritance, possessing the face of the deceased man but an unsettling, inhuman quality. Hubbard conducts a thorough investigation, eventually discovering that the "son" is a biological anomaly tied to the dark planet Morethis.

The clash of egos Emrys settles into a life of decadent luxury on Earth, nursing an intense, long-standing hatred for his father's rival, Nicholas Dyall. He views his own youth as a weapon, yet finds himself perpetually haunted by the shadow of the man he despises.

The discovery of the doll Emrys becomes infatuated with Megan, an ethereal woman, only to learn that she is a mechanical construction by Dyall. The reveal reveals that Dyall was offered the same immortality as Shortmire but possessed the moral fortitude to refuse it.

The final bargain Emrys faces the grim reality that he is a puppet of the Morethans, his life sustained by their energy. Facing the encroaching destruction of humanity, he pivots his spiteful energy into building an escape for the human race.

The People

Jan Shortmire/Emrys Shortmire The central figure, driven by an insatiable need for recognition and a fear of death. He is a man of immense talent but limited moral imagination. By the end, he transitions from a man seeking personal pleasure to a reluctant savior, motivated entirely by his need to be "greater" than his rival.

Peter Hubbard A wealthy lawyer and executor who represents the voice of human normalcy. Unlike the inventors, he accepts the limitations of his mortality. He serves as the reader’s witness, observing the horror of the inventors' choices with a mixture of envy, pity, and growing detachment.

Nicholas Dyall The foil to Shortmire. A technician who, like his rival, was offered immortality but chose to decline the terms. He represents a different kind of ego—one that finds fulfillment in the creation of things that are useful and loved by the public, rather than merely groundbreaking.

Megan A beautiful, hollow construct created by Dyall. She is the physical manifestation of a memory. Her existence serves as the catalyst for Emrys's final breakdown, proving that even in his quest for "perfection," he was chasing a ghost.

In Its Own Voice

Regarding the nature of the bargain struck with the Morethans:

"If you were not an Earthman, Jan Shortmire, we would not have needed you, nor you us."

Regarding the true nature of his existence:

"In a sense, you could be called that--though to compare you, as an artistic creation, with that trumpery piece of gimcrack...."

What It's Really About

The book argues that greatness and goodness are not synonymous, and often exist in tension. It posits that human progress is frequently driven by "malevolent" motives—spite, jealousy, and the desperate need to outshine others—rather than altruism. The central question is whether the motivation behind a deed matters if the outcome saves a species. It explores the idea that human identity is fragile, easily traded for longevity, and that the ultimate tragedy is not death, but the loss of the ability to feel, love, or end one's own existence on one's own terms.

Why Read It Today

This book will appeal to readers who enjoy mid-century science fiction that favors psychological depth over space-opera heroics. It is a bleak, sharp-edged examination of the "tortured genius" trope, stripped of its romanticism. The prose is precise and cold, reflecting the sterility of the protagonist’s existence. Readers should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes regarding gender and the somewhat cynical, fatalistic worldview that permeates the narrative.

The story’s power lies in its refusal to offer a traditional redemptive arc. Instead, it leaves the reader with a haunting question: if the only way to ensure the survival of your kind is through the actions of a man driven by petty, vengeful spite, is the survival worth the cost? It is a demanding read that lingers long after the final page, particularly for those interested in the "what if" of transhumanism and the psychological degradation that might accompany the rejection of a natural lifespan. It provides a striking portrait of a man who wins everything he ever wanted, only to find that he has become a stranger to his own humanity.