Time and the Woman

In Short

This science fiction story follows Ninon, a woman terrified of aging, who forces her way onto a test flight of a theoretical faster-than-light vessel. She believes that by manipulating the relativistic effects of space travel, she can reverse her biological clock and regain her youth. Her journey becomes a descent into madness as she grapples with the cold indifference of the cosmos. It is a sharp, cautionary tale about the futility of chasing immortality, remembered for its biting irony and its haunting portrayal of a woman trapped by her own selfishness.

The Story

Ninon lives her life as a meticulously curated performance of beauty. Despite her efforts to maintain a youthful appearance through expensive treatments, she is acutely aware that her body is failing her. When she encounters Robert, a young spaceman preparing for an experimental flight that utilizes a new, faster-than-light drive, she sees a solution to her aging. Ninon uses manipulative tactics—including blackmail regarding Robert's commander—to force her way onto the ship, intending to use the craft’s velocity to travel backward through time and reclaim her girlhood.

The voyage begins with Robert at the controls, though he remains skeptical and detached. As the ship exceeds the speed of light, Ninon’s perception of reality begins to fracture. She becomes increasingly convinced that she is regaining her vitality, though the environment inside the ship tells a different story. The strain of the journey causes her to hallucinate and grow paranoid. When Robert attempts to ground her in the reality of their situation, pointing out that she still appears as her true age, Ninon’s rage boils over. She uses a concealed weapon to vaporize him, leaving her entirely alone in the void.

Following the murder, Ninon descends into deep isolation. She attempts to use a polished wall as a mirror to confirm her supposed rejuvenation, fueled by an ego that refuses to accept the physical toll of the trip. The ship eventually decelerates and returns to what Ninon assumes is home. However, as she observes the passing planets, she realizes something is fundamentally wrong; the celestial bodies are unfamiliar, and the rings of Saturn are missing.

The ship lands automatically on a world that appears to be a different version of Earth. A crowd gathers, filled with curiosity and wonder at the arrival of the vessel. Among the onlookers are a young couple, Robin and Nina, whose conversation mirrors the same naive hopes about space travel and longevity that Ninon once held. When explorers finally enter the ship, they find no living passenger. Instead, they discover the body of an ancient, withered woman. Her final expression is a smile—a grim, final irony for someone who spent her life terrified of the very end she could not escape.

How It Unfolds

The obsession begins Ninon scrutinizes her reflection for signs of age, treating every wrinkle as a failure of her will. She views the upcoming space flight not as an exploration, but as a personal vessel for her own vanity.

The forced bargain Ninon blackmails the young pilot, Robert, using recordings of his superiors to secure her place on the flight. She dismisses his warnings about the risks, blinded by her desire to cheat the natural order.

The faster-than-light shift As the ship accelerates, Ninon’s grasp on reality wavers, and she interprets the physical sickness of space travel as a miraculous, youthful restoration. Robert’s attempts to remain rational only serve to alienate her further.

The final confrontation Convinced that Robert is mocking her, Ninon murders him, effectively severing her only link to human perspective. She retreats into a cocoon of self-delusion, polishing the ship’s walls to serve as a makeshift vanity mirror.

The return to nowhere The ship touches down on an unrecognizable version of Earth, signaling that Ninon’s travel through time and space has ultimately led her into an inescapable dead end. The story concludes with the discovery of her corpse by a younger generation, who remain blissfully ignorant of the cost of her journey.

The People

Ninon is the story’s central, tragic figure. She is defined by an all-consuming fear of decay, which she attempts to weaponize against the universe. She is manipulative, cold, and profoundly lonely, viewing other human beings—like Robert and Commander Pritchard—only as tools for her own preservation. Her inability to accept her own mortality is her fatal flaw, leading her to trade her humanity for a phantom of youth.

Robert acts as the foil to Ninon’s vanity. A young, disciplined spaceman, he initially views his mission with the pride of an explorer. However, he becomes a victim of Ninon's schemes, and his presence serves to highlight her detachment from reality. He is the voice of scientific reason, yet he is powerless against Ninon’s irrationality. By the end, he is little more than a ghost in the ship, a casualty of the very technology he helped command.

In Its Own Voice

Ninon sorted through her meagre store of remembered reading. Some old philosopher had said, "If you can't whip 'em, join 'em!" Crude, but apt.

Ninon attempts to rationalize her desperate plan to use the laws of physics to her own advantage.

"You're looking your age, Ninon. Every year of your fifty-two!"

Robert delivers the crushing truth to Ninon, shattering the delusion of youth she has cultivated during the voyage.

There is no one alive on the ship," they cried. "Only an old, withered, white-haired lady, lying dead ... and alone.

The explorers discover the grim, final result of Ninon’s quest for eternal life.

What It's Really About

The story explores the tension between human vanity and the indifferent, absolute nature of time. Ninon represents a universal, albeit destructive, desire to arrest the passage of time—a wish to remain static in a world defined by change. The book argues that this obsession is a form of spiritual, if not literal, death. By viewing time as an enemy to be "enslaved," Ninon isolates herself from the human experience, eventually becoming a relic of her own making. The irony of her fate suggests that the pursuit of immortality is a self-defeating endeavor that only accelerates the loss of the very life one is trying to preserve.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate classic, mid-century science fiction will find much to admire in this story’s concise, sharp-edged prose. It functions as a dark fable, reminiscent of classic morality tales, but set against the backdrop of cold, existential space. If you enjoy character studies that focus on the psychological unraveling of an ego-driven antagonist, you will find Ninon a compelling, if deeply unpleasant, subject.

The story is brief, making it an ideal choice for a single sitting, though its ending lingers long after the final page is turned. New readers should be aware that the story reflects the mid-1950s period in its dialogue and gender dynamics, which may feel dated or stylized to a modern ear. However, the core of the work—the chilling depiction of a woman who would rather destroy everyone around her than accept her own aging—is timeless. It is a stark reminder that technology can grant us the stars, but it cannot fix the fundamental anxieties of the human condition. It is a haunting, effective piece of writing for anyone interested in the darker side of human ambition.