This Conspiracy

Chapter 30

Author stuff: So, we're finally diving into the Maze. 30 chapters in. Seems... canonically accurate.

Chapter 30

In Which Archie Gets To (Finally) Run The Maze

He hadn't been able to actually go out into the Maze the day that Minho gave him his Runnie-undies – a pair of tight shorts that would keep his legs from chafing, a blessing really – and his running shoes. He'd been forced to go over who was in which section, various help signals, and quick routes back to the Glade.

The next day, however, he was woken up nice and early to get started. He hadn't even been able to see his friends for breakfast – he'd see them at dinner, Nick told him, if he managed to make it back.

Nick was terrible at telling jokes, he decided.

He was with Justin – a tall, dark-haired boy with green eyes behind a pair of glasses that looked like swimming goggles.

"I keep my regular glasses in the Map Room," he said, showing Archie a little niche with his name on it. "Nick doesn't like wearing these, so he just wears his normal glasses. I can't do that, though. It's not comfortable or safe. Not to mention you could lose your glasses in the Maze and be lost and taken by a Griever. Well, not you, but you know what I mean."

He was chatty when he stood still, he learned. But, after Justin started running, he was quiet. He gave good directions and tips. He showed Archie how to cut off bits of vines to mark their trail.

"When the Maze moves for the night," Justin said "the vines get cleaned up."

A thought popped into his head: What if Grievers were just robots programmed to clean the Maze each night, and humans were seen as pests. It would make sense, from what he knew of them. Though, the stinging and Changing thing he had no idea. It was a bad idea, and he was glad he didn't voice it.

Justin would probably laugh at him.

While they ran – more like quickly jogged – he got a better view of the maze. The walls were high, some a little lower than others, and made of a strange, grey stone he couldn't place. Vines grew up the sides, only reaching so far. There were a few that managed to grasp at the plateaued tops and hang there for their lives. Moss grew along the floors and the parts of the walls the vines didn't congregate at.

He was sure that he had never seen anything quite like it before.

They stopped around midday, eating a quick lunch of a bologna and cheese sandwich and a crisp apple with water. It was the worst meal he'd had since arriving, but as he ate he could have cared less. Running used up a lot of energy. He was just happy to have a break.

They stayed for a few extra minutes to stretch and then shot off to finish their section.

He'd wondered how they were supposed to remember the shape of the Maze that day, but as they made their way back, Justin was scribbling some things down on a piece of paper.

"Just the route we took," Justin said. "In order to save our supplies, we're only mapping out our route. Direct orders from Nick. They told you how the Maze is repeating its patterns, yeah?"

"Minho went over it with me, yeah," Archie said.

"Good that."

They had more than enough time to make it back to the Glade, so Justin slowed their pace.

"Minho's a crazy ass shank," Justin said. "He'd run this whole Maze without stopping if we'd let him."

"And you won't let him, because..."

"He'd end up having to stay out overnight to do it, and he'd be Griever bait."

He laughed at that. Well, he tried to. He was still struggling to breathe regularly.

As they were about to round the third to last corner to make it back before the doors closed for the night, he spotted something lying on the ground. There was something grasped in her outreached hand, though he couldn't tell what it was until he got closer. The color of her hair drew his attention more than anything else, a coppery hue he hadn't seen anywhere outside the Glade.

"Justin," he said, calling the Runner back to where he'd stopped.

Lying there was a body.

"Shuck," Justin said, eyes taking in what he'd already seen. He held Archie back. "Hey, hey, hey. Don't get too close. We don't know who that is or what they're capable of."

Pushing aside Justin's hands, he slowly made his way over to the prone figure. Gently, he rolled them over onto their back, taking in their features.

He looked over to Justin with wide eyes.

"It's a girl," he said. His mind flashed to Flossy – how easily this girl could be her. He scooped her up, ready to bring her to the Med-hut. The item she'd held, a sickle, landed with a clatter on the ground.

Justin picked it up, frowning down at it. He didn't comment on it. Instead, he did his best to tuck it into his pack.

"You think it's safe? Is she even breathing?"

"She needs our help. Justin, you know we have to."

"Shuck. Nick's going to kill me for this. Alright, let's go."

They figured out a pace that wouldn't jostle her around too much. They almost, quite literally, ran in to Adne and Nick as they were making their way back.

"What –" Nick said. He immediately caught sight of the girl in his arms and frowned. "Okay, explanations later. For now, we need to get to the Glade. Clint and Jeff can figure out what's wrong with her."

They started towards the Glade, mentally preparing themselves for the barrage of questions that would be asked.

"Where the shuck did you shanks find her?" Adne said. She easily matched their pace, though Archie wasn't sure why that surprised him. He thought that, perhaps, with the section she and Nick were supposed to be running that day that she would be tired. There was a reason she was voted to be a Runner.

"One of the dead ends," he said.

"This shuck-face saw her first," Justin said. "I didn't even notice. By the Cliff."

"Her hair caught my eye."

He glanced down, watching the coppery strands bounce and sway with his movements. It was practically hypnotic. He had a feeling he'd seen her – her hair, at least – before, before the Maze.

The Baggers saw them first, noticing the addition to the group. He heard someone – he thought it was Jackson – call out for the Med-jacks. By the time they reached the entrance, a crowd of Gladers had started to gather, wanting to know what was going on.

"We found her in the Maze," he said to Clint and Jeff when they finally pushed through. "She's breathing and I don't see any injuries, but –"

"Let's get her back to the hut," Clint said. "Flossy, we're going to need your help."

Jeff extracted her from his arms, carefully cradling her close. He and Clint took off in a jog, Flossy tagging along after.

"Archie," Nick said, "I'm going to need the full story. Come with me."

Author stuff cont'd.: I'm just going to keep adding people until someone tells me to stop.