Self-Review – Escape from Alien Mines

Let’s Look at Escape from Alien Mines

The idea for: Escape from Alien Mines is essentially right there in the title.

I wrote this story during the third quarter of 2021. However, I did not finish it until the second quarter of 2025.

Background

The prompt word was the name Xavier. Heh, there aren’t a lot of X words for prompts. But this one seems to works all right.

Plot

Xavier has been a miner all his life, on an unnamed planet or moon or asteroid… somewhere. He is the umpteenth generation of human slaves, continually moving ore from place to place and doing very little else.

Complicating matters is the fact that, much like in the Matrix series of films, his nutrition comes from a tube in his stomach. He has no memory of eating or drinking in any other manner.

Utterly dependent on the overlords, he can’t conceive of a reason to ever leave, until he meets Amy. Amy comes from an independent camp of humans on the outside. She’s tasted freedom just as much as she’s tasted real food.

Characters

The characters are prisoners Xavier and Amy. Her sister is also in the story. And so are their invisible, yet demanding overlords.

Memorable Quotes

My first memory is the mines. Every day, it’s all the same stuff. Chop. Grab. Haul.

And then hand over whatever to our taskmasters. They push and pull, and we give them everything we have. We always have.

I assume I had parents. I suppose we all do… or did. But I never knew mine.

I don’t know if they even knew each other. Beyond… you know.

And here you come, Amy, offering me a way out. But we both know it’s impossible. We’ve been here too long, and we’ve been captive slaves for far too long. You come in here preaching freedom to me.

It all sounds very fine and nice to me. But that word has no meaning.

Rating for Escape from Alien Mines

The story has a K+ rating. The language is fairly tame, but the situation is pretty grim to start.

Takeaways for Escape from Alien Mines

I like this idea, and I think it has some potential. In reality, I may very well end up cannibalizing it for a part of the third Obolonk trilogy.

See, folks? Nothing is ever wasted.

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Want More of my Short Stories and Novellas?

If this short story resonates with you, then I hope you will check out some of my other blog posts about my shorter works.

Short Stories

Finally, for a complete list of my shorter works, please be sure to check out the Hub Page—Short Stories.