The Earth spread out into a green carpet under the slowly descending spaceship. Malenson sat stiffly in the control chair, eyes drinking in the forgotten beauty of his home world. The ship sank through a layer of fleecy clouds toward the spaceport. Buildings took shape out of the formless mass of the ground. Malenson frowned. Things looked just the same. One would have thought that changes would take place in fifteen years. He caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the glass of the port. It angered him suddenly that the years should have been so sparing with Earth and so cruel to him. He had aged more than he thought.... He felt very tired.... Very gently, the ship sank to a landing on the busy ramp. The generators sighed, and fell silent. Malenson smiled thinly. His timing was still good. He locked the hold carefully and made his way to the valve. The long unused mechanism worked smoothly and quickly. Malenson stepped out.... A circle of resolute patrolmen surrounded him, hands on their weapons. He stared at them in stunned disbelief. A young inspector shouldered his way through the file. He spoke words that Malenson heard only dimly through the sudden roaring in his ears. "You are under arrest, Malenson," the inspector said shortly. * * * * * _Subject: Report on Prisoner Malenson, File No. 8,697,032_ _To: Wilton, Chief Penologist, Luna Criminal Detention Center_ _From: Berry, Director North American Geriatrics Institute_ _1. Transfer of subject prisoner to this institution is confirmed._ _2. Cursory examination reveals that the prisoner is a victim of acutely accelerated general metabolism._ _3. An interview with the prisoner reveals that he is firmly convinced that he recently spent a period of fifteen years in space, whereas port records conclusively prove that he was absent from Earth for a period of only twenty two months (Ref. N'york Sp. Log 2/890 Pages 867,1098). His condition is perfectly suited to the experimental work now being conducted here, as I suspected. There is an excellent possibility that we may be able to correlate the clinical data of his case with our own hypotheses and so ascertain exactly to what extent senility is the product of psychological conditioning rather than chronological age as heretofore believed._ _4. Prognosis negative. In the case of Prisoner Malenson himself, we are unable to prescribe treatment. All efforts to retard his fantastically high metabolism rate have failed. His body temperature is now normal at 120.6° Fahrenheit, and his pulse steady at 140/minute. Definite indications of senescence are appearing. Symptoms of incipient ataxic aphasia have been detected._ _5. Death from advanced senility predicted within thirty days._ _Signed: Berry, NAGI Director._