The woman obsession

In Short

This story follows a cynical, regulation-obsessed space pilot and his rebellious navigator, Johnny "Horse" Collins, as they traverse the desolate asteroid-strewn route between Mars and Jupiter. When Collins claims to see a woman on an uncharted asteroid, the pilot views it as an act of subversion and mental instability. As their professional relationship collapses into mutual hostility and legal maneuvering, the narrative explores the friction between a world run by soulless automation and the enduring, dangerous human desire for companionship and romantic love.

The Story

The protagonist, a pilot for Gideon Shipping known as "Slide Rule Sam," prides himself on his cold, robotic efficiency. He views emotions, particularly the desire for women, as obsolete weaknesses that have been replaced by mass-produced technological solutions on a crowded, over-regulated Earth. His navigator, Johnny "Horse" Collins, is a former football star and a self-described "space bum" who retains a dangerous, romantic interest in the past. During a routine run through "asteroid alley," Collins stuns the pilot by claiming he sees a beautiful woman waving at him from an asteroid that does not exist on any map.

Sam dismisses the sighting as a "mirage" caused by space-induced psychosis and logs the incident as official proof of Collins’s unfitness for duty. Tension escalates as Collins and the ship's robot master, Van Elling, engage in subtle acts of mutiny, including intentionally delaying the ship’s schedule to return to the coordinates of the mysterious asteroid. Sam, determined to climb the corporate ladder, treats their actions as a threat to his own career, carefully documenting their insolence to ensure they are punished by the company’s disciplinary board.

Upon returning to Mars, the men face a formal trial. Sam leverages his political connections to ensure his own advancement, while Collins pleads insanity to protect Van from repercussions. Collins is held for higher review, but he soon escapes with Van in an obsolete ship, vanishing into the deep reaches of space. Sam continues his career, confident that he has secured his professional future and eliminated his rivals.

However, his obsession with the truth leads him to investigate the identity of the woman he briefly glimpsed through the scanner. He discovers she is Elsbeth Parrish, a legendary dissident and "science-hater" who had mysteriously disappeared years prior. Realizing that Collins tricked him into officially denying the existence of the asteroid—thereby securing the site’s secrecy—Sam begins obsessively searching for the location during his own flights. He eventually finds the asteroid, where he sees Collins and Van not as outcasts, but as men who have successfully reached a hidden world. The final blow to Sam’s rigid worldview is the sight of three beautiful women waiting for the men, proving that the life he abandoned is not only possible but thriving beyond the reach of the company’s cold control.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins The pilot and his navigator, Horse Collins, navigate the hazardous shipping lanes between Mars and Jupiter while debating the merits of human affection versus cold, corporate efficiency. Their professional relationship fractures when Collins insists he sees a woman on a non-existent asteroid, an event the pilot immediately records as evidence of mental instability.

A deepening rift As the ship loads elgeron, the navigator and the robot master, Van, coordinate to delay their departure, allowing Collins a second look at the mysterious site. The pilot senses a conspiracy and begins plotting to use his influence to ruin both men during their inevitable disciplinary hearing.

The trial and escape Following the return to Mars, the pilot successfully maneuvers the legal system to secure his own future while watching his rivals fall. He believes he has won, only to learn that Collins and Van have escaped custody in a small, stolen vessel to pursue a life outside the corporate hierarchy.

The final discovery Haunted by the image of the woman, the pilot realizes he has been manipulated into protecting the secret of the asteroid’s existence through his own sworn testimony. He eventually locates the site during a routine run, witnessing his former crew living in the very world of human companionship he once dismissed as a foolish dream.

The People

Slide Rule Sam is the story’s narrator, a man who has traded his humanity for a life of "self-discipline" and corporate climbing. He views everyone around him as either an asset to be managed or a liability to be purged.

Johnny "Horse" Collins is a former All-Earth fullback who refuses to accept the sterile, atomized existence of the future. He is the dreamer of the pair, willing to risk his career and life for a glimpse of something real, ultimately outmaneuvering the pilot through his own cold logic.

Van Elling, the robot master, acts as a bridge between the machines he controls and the humanity he misses. He is the silent partner in the rebellion, preferring the risks of freedom with Collins to the safety of a life under Sam’s thumb.

Elsbeth Parrish is the elusive catalyst, a historical figure who represents the rebellion against the "powers that be." She is the target of the men’s search and the living symbol of the world the pilot failed to keep for himself.

In Its Own Voice

"Surely Collins was an idiot. He kept dreaming of women in a world that knew nothing of love's delight."

The pilot reflects on the navigator's perceived weakness at the start of their journey.

"I'm your superior, and I've been too lenient. I'm not strong enough to fight you but I'm powerful enough to destroy you."

The pilot reveals the depth of his hostility toward the navigator during a confrontation in the cabin.

"The dirty, science-hating sons."

The pilot expresses his bitter envy after discovering the secret paradise he failed to claim.

What It's Really About

The central tension lies in the conflict between technological determinism and the irrational, persistent human need for intimacy. The story questions whether a society that sacrifices love and spontaneity for efficiency has actually achieved progress or merely constructed a high-tech prison. The pilot’s obsession with "discipline" serves as a defense mechanism against a world he fears because he does not fully understand it. Ultimately, the book argues that humanity’s inherent desire for connection—even when labeled "space insanity" by the powerful—is a force that cannot be fully cataloged, managed, or suppressed by the structures of a corporate state.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy mid-century science fiction will appreciate the stark, minimalist atmosphere of this story. It offers a fascinating, slightly claustrophobic look at how the 1950s imagined the intersection of space travel and societal decay. The prose is lean and unsentimental, moving with the precision of a logbook entry, which makes the protagonist’s eventual breakdown and envy feel earned rather than forced.

Modern readers should be prepared for the period-typical gender dynamics; the women in the story are treated as prizes to be discovered or assets in a population quota, reflecting the era's narrow views. However, the story remains compelling because it is less about the women themselves and more about the hollow state of the men who seek them. It captures a specific, melancholy loneliness—the feeling of a man who has climbed to the top of a ladder only to realize he is standing in a vacuum. It is a brief, punchy read that lingers, leaving the reader to wonder what they might have surrendered in their own pursuit of "efficiency." Anyone interested in the psychology of the "company man" or the trope of the defiant escapee will find this a sharp, rewarding, and deeply cynical piece of classic fiction.