Newt

Bonus: The Program

The program was not what Thomas had expected. He'd been working with WICKED for as long as he could remember. It had seemed like such a normal part of his life. Working with the scientists, designing the Maze, and doing all of their little tests became routine. He believed in WICKED and what they were trying to do. But when the time came to start the program, Thomas was hesitant.

"Maybe this isn't the right thing," he whispered, eyes darting around him. If The Creators heard what he was saying, they could lose faith in him. Without their faith, Thomas knew he would never survive what was to come.

"Tom, of course this is the right thing," his best friend responded, eyes wide. They were hiding in one of the conference rooms. Theresa couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth.

"But what about our friends? They could die."

"We could all die, Tom, don't you get that? The entire human race will die if we don't go through with this."

Thomas shook his head, gut twisting with uncertainty. He was doubting everything he had ever known.

"WICKED is good," Theresa said suddenly. Her eyes burned with a passion Thomas wished he had.

"Theresa-,"

"WICKED is good," she repeated, cutting off his words. With a hopeless look in his eyes, Thomas nodded.

"WICKED is good."

They sent them up one by one. Every month, Thomas pretended not to notice as his friends disappeared. Every month, Thomas stood outside the tanks and watched the people he had grown up with screaming as water surrounded them, their eyes burning with desperation and betrayal. Soon they would be in the Maze. Soon they would forget.

Watching Newt go was like a blow to the chest. Though Theresa and Aris had been closest to him, Thomas felt a sort of connection with the British boy. His quick smiles and sharp sarcasm always appealed to Thomas. Though WICKED pushed him to spend time with the elite of the group, he couldn't help himself. He grew close to Newt. When he was sent into the Maze, Thomas couldn't even bring himself to watch his friend go. It hurt too much.

As the other boys left, Thomas observed the Gladers from the other side of the screen. He watched kind Gally turn bitter and resentful. He saw Minho separate from his friends until he became as much of a legend as the other Gladers believed him to be. But most of all, he watched Newt.

His best friend, once full of easy grins, was dying in the Maze. Thomas could see the emptiness in his eyes every day. When he ran into the Maze the first time, Thomas held his breath until he had crossed back into the Glade again, safe.

There wasn't anything special about the day it happened. Thomas woke up at the same time as he did every morning and checked on Newt. His friend was out in the Maze already. Early start. Thomas decided to take that as a good sign.

He was wrong.

Thomas began to understand what was happening when Newt stopped running and started climbing. He told himself that this was just to get a better view, or to find a way out, or even to work on exercise: anything but the truth.