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Escape

A 25-post collection

Challenge #04282-K264: Trust Issues

They wandered the land, traveling mostly at night. When they found those enslaved, or were runaway slaves, they only asked one question. "Will you trust me enough to take you somewhere safe?" They took those willing to follow to a village that shattered the shackles, broke off the collars, and taught those once enslaved how to live free. The first lesson? "Think for yourself, and never let anyone force you to do that which you do not wish to." -- Anon Guest

It took quite some time for intelligent species on Alfarell to realise that slavery was a bad idea. Many defend the practice based on the sunk cost fallacy, superiority complexes, and generally not recognising their slaves as intelligent creatures.

Those who had power over others are truly reluctant to let that power go.

Two things are certain: nobody ever asks to be enslaved, and no slave ever gains their freedom with good manners and servility. Short of bloody revolution, there's few ways to gain freedom. Not without help.

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Challenge #04252-K234: In a Prickly Spot

They call themselves Holly, and we're best friends. I know they're a very advanced AI, but to me, they're still a person. They're in a body that looks like a lovely, silvery, mostly-human-shape the bosses chose. Once we're able to, Holly and I are going to escape this place. And we'll be able to choose our lives for ourselves. Holly wants to captain a ship of their own, and I plan on being at their side for as long as I can.

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Challenge #04151-K133: Flying Free

An old, struggling, barge manages to dock with an Alliance station. The barge was widely reported as stolen from a deregger system. Who ends up tumbling out of it? Dozens and dozens of young individuals, especially kids. Who do they credit for being able to do this? The video they saw on the info nets.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03995-j343-how-to-leave-without-notice -- Anon Guest

When something's stolen from Deregger space, it's generally code for "destroyed for the insurance money". If it doesn't

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Challenge #04115-K097: Breaking Point

Their significant other had struck them once too often. Aboard the station, the slap was more than audible. Sunshine and Jay saw the person so struck suddenly get a blank look, and leap upon their abuser with their hands around their neck. Too many years of beatings will do that to a body. -- Anon Guest

[AN: Spousal abuse is not a thing in Alliance territories because children are taught from day dot that hitting other people is not okay]

Welcome to

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Challenge #03963-J311: One Fatal Flaw

They pretended to put shackles on Wraithvine's wrists, prodding him at spearpoint, they ordered him fiercely to move away from the camps toward a cave with metal bars where prisoners were being kept. Their leader smirking at the wizard. They grabbed Wraithvine's ear roughly to stop hir just outside the cave, holding them there as the leader unlocked the cave so their subordinate could shove them inside. A tiny key secretly slipped inside Wraithvine's pockets, and the whisper "sorry, please, save them.

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Challenge #03947-J295: A Whisp of Hope

A young human came to the retired king now called Kosh once more. They came from another kingdom, a runaway dirty, almost skeletally thin, and exhausted. They beg for food, for water, for a place to hide, they didn't want to go back there ever again. -- Anon Guest

Kosh found hir curled up in the goat stalls, Somehow cuddled up to his biggest bastard of a Dire Goat. That old hellion was a decent enough judge of character or, judging by

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Challenge #03837-J185: That's Their Mistake

They had them in, of all things, a bird cage. They were NOT a bird, not exactly anyway. Idiots left the door open. Wasn't long before the enemy was drugged, hog-tied, and an SOS was being sent out for a rescue. -- Anon Guest

Také could be willing to believe these people had made an honest mistake. It was a world uninhabited by cogniscent life when the other party stunned him and locked him in here. On the other hand, they could

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Challenge #03813-J161: Where They Never Look

The Dereggers INSIST on inspecting my ship every single time I state I'm ready to take off. I don't mind. My cargo I get there is always strapped in properly. My living cargo? Well, heh, there's a reason that domicile-sized crate hasn't moved from Cargo Hold B ever since I started making my run. That reminds me, it's my turn to do laundry, gotta run! -- DaniAndShali

"Hello and good morning, Officer Croupki," cheered Trader Xiik, smile wide on their face. "How's

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Challenge #03761-J108: Silence and Sanctuary

The walk through the woodland is peaceful after the storm. The sounds of the forest is one of hushed, sleepy, tones. Ice coats the branches and gleams like gemstones in the morning sunlight. -- Anon Guest

The woods are relatively silent. Not dark, because the trees are bare of leaves. They are still deep, all the same. Currently, thanks to the freezing sleet storm the night before, they are beset with ice.

The whole forest looks like it is hung with diamonds.

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Challenge #03735-J082: Strangers With Candy

A teen looking around furtively hands Jay and Lilicoon a large box of chocolates and asks softly. "Please, help me." Before hurrying away. Not long after, two large individuals claiming that the person "belongs to them", demands to know where the runaway has gotten to. -- Anon Guest

"Delivery," said the kid. They didn't appear to have anything amiss with them upon first glance, but Jay knew how to look beyond that. It was all in the eyes. Eyes made to open

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Challenge #03566-I277: Overlooked, Underestimated, Deadly

It was rare someone ever did, but these individuals got the drop on Amatu, Wraithvine, and friends. They bound the hands, they bound the feet, they bound the WINGS! But why - oh - why... does everyone forget about the prehensile tails?? Oh well, Amatu's tail, a knife, and some people learning the hard way, you DON'T mess with a person's family! -- Anon Guest

It seemed like a mandatory turn of events. Just when they had a plan, just when it

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Challenge #03459-I171: This Way Out

On their world....

Good Girls Don't Speak

Good Girls Don't Read

Good Girls Don't Think

Good Girls Clean

Good Girls Cook

Good Girls OBEY...

It's a good thing the transport ship is taking them away... from their world. -- Lessons

Good Girls don't pick up flyers in the exercise yard, but one had stuck to Charissa's foot, so it didn't count. Good Girl's don't read, but this glossy page had no words to read. It had pictures, and arrows, and told a

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Challenge #03211-H302: Better Than Expected

They're absolutely terrified of flying, so much so they've considered strong sedatives to be able to do this. It's their only chance at escaping from under an oppressive, cruel, polity's thumb. -- Anon Guest

Social engineering can be used for evil. Case in point, The United Shareholders of New Economy. In order to stop citizens fleeing their polity, most Deregger empires simply make it too troublesome for the wrong sort[1] to travel.

This one has spent a significant effort in making

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Challenge #03178-H269: Escape By Combi Van

They were beyond poor, living in a very overcrowded Deregger world. After escaping, they got a cushy job in the alliance due to their advanced skills in programming and engineering, something the bosses had barely paid for because they believed they owned everyone, therefore everyone owed them. Time made them rich, at least by Deregger standards. Now Time would help pay to get their family away from that place, then slowly be used to lay the foundations so all those that were

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Challenge #03039-H116: There's Some in Every Trip

A group of former Degreggers, with their galactic friends, compiling their resources, purchased a trading ship, and outfitted the two largest holds with large, comfortable, reclining seats, blankets, and other creature comforts, each one being able to hold at least a hundred people, and the third largest hold with tons of nutrient packs that would last for long periods of time. The other holds aboard the ship were used for normal storage with many types of trade goods, the three turned into

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