Into the Maze (English Version)

13

As they then looked around the glade, they soon discovered the next bad surprise. J kicked away a piece of ember. "What happened here?"

The boys didn't answer, just stared at the remains of the cards hut. There was nothing left except a pile of ash and wood.

Suddenly Minho let out a frustrated roar. J and Newt both jumped, as the Keeper of the Runners began stomping around in the pile, screaming repeatedly.

"Calm down!" J told him a little louder. She'd had enough of that terrible night herself and Newt certainly didn't feel any different. But Minho's tantrum really didn't help.

"Why should I calm down? Nothing is right here anymore. Each of these little scumbags just does what he wants. I'm about to grab someone and beat the hell out of them. I wanna know who torched the cards," Minho now shouted directly at J. But she didn't back down in any way intimidated.

"Don't scream at me! At least I didn't burn your fucking cards. Now stop acting like a toddler having a tantrum," she pushed Minho away forcefully and then turned to her brother. "But it's true, it's getting uncomfortable around here."

And that didn't just apply to the atmosphere between the gladers. Somehow a general gloomy veil seemed to hang over them all. Looking up, J understood why. The sky above the glade was different than usual, grayer, and the sun was no longer visible. As if it didn't really want to become light anymore, after the terrible night in which the Grievers had attacked them. Things were no different later in the day. And considering that their crops would soon die in this light and that the box would no longer come up with supplies, because Teresa had been the last, things were bad for them.

Finally they decided to visit Thomas and Teresa, even though Gally was watching them like a hawk. Chuck and Pan were already sitting at the building, when they got there, talking to Teresa. The dark-haired girl smiled weakly but pleased when she saw J.

Thomas was still unconscious. It wasn't entirely clear what would happen when he woke up. J hoped he would wake up at all. But a Griever's poison was no fun. It had already killed a few people, including Alby and Ben, who had a much better physic than Thomas.

But when Thomas woke up, he actually seemed normal. A little confused perhaps. But not crazy, like the gladers whose transformation J had witnessed so far. However, what he then had to say didn't quite give the impression that he was okay. Still, they all listened to him.

He told about an organization called W.I.C.K.E.D. and some tests on children, Thomas called them above-average intelligent. As far as J could follow him, these children >or teenagers< were the gladers. They had been taken away from their parents and before they had come to this labyrinth they had been sent to special schools. He also explained their names to them. According to Thomas, they weren't their real ones. Instead, they were given nicknames from famous scientists or important historical figures. For example, Alby for Albert Einstein, Newt for Newton, and Thomas for Thomas Addison.

"So we are orphans who were raised by scientists," Pan summarized somewhat hesitantly, as if he didn't quite want to believe what he was hearing. That wasn't surprising. Thomas' explanation didn't sound as strange as some theories, that the gladers had already been set up themselves. In fact, it sounded almost too unspectacular. But that was exactly why J was sure that there was still something missing, namely the reason why the scientists were doing this test with them. All the Grieve poison had told Thomas was, that it was about who survived these tests.

"But why?", Newt asked and looked at Thomas in the Slammer.

"They want to know how we react to their variables," again Thomas' answer wasn't really crazy.

"But why?" J asked, but Thomas just shrugged his shoulders cluelessly. "I don't know."

"Variables,... Like killing people," Pan played thoughtfully with the wooden frame from which the Slammer was made. "Is that a variable too?"

"Yes, selection," Thomas said somewhat hesitantly.

"So only the best get through," J's heart felt heavy when she said that. Especially because she almost automatically thought of Newt's limp. Thomas nodded. He also looked like if the words brought him pain.

"Then quickly start telling me your brilliant escape plan," Pan no longer seemed like the kind cook he was. Something about Thomas's news had probably upset him a lot. Understandable, but still Pan was mostly more of a positive fun guy. Seeing his soft face almost angry now didn't please J at all. "I hope you have one."

"He'll surely explain it in a moment, listen and keep your mouth shut," Newt said sternly in Pan direction.

"The creators want the best ones, like J said, but we have to earn it," Thomas said.

"The code...", now Thomas hesitated. "There is a reason for the order of sections. I should know, I... I was there when the creators developed it."

Chuck, whose curly head had been resting tiredly on J's shoulder until then, now sat up suddenly.

"What's that supposed to mean?", J asked cautiously. She didn't want to sound too accusatory, but also not like it was all well and good. Because somehow Thomas's vague confession awakened a feeling in her. It felt like a memory, just as a feeling. There was anger, disappointment, something hurt.

"The Creators used me and... Teresa," Thomas looked briefly at the dark-haired girl, who was sitting with him in the Slammer. She looked at Thomas as if he had punched her in the face. She was shocked by the news. "Teresa and I collaborated with them and helped designing the maze."

"But that can't be...", Teresa tried to contradict, but her voice failed. Minho acknowledged this with a derogatory snort.

"What does this mean? You're a fucking sixteen year old," Newt spoke as if he wanted to call Thomas crazy, as if he didn't want to believe it.

"An above-average intelligent sixteen-year-old, didn't you listen?", J said to her brother. Then she looked at Minho, who was sitting next to Newt. He had a strange smile on his face. His narrow eyes seemed somehow cloudy, as if he wasn't really present. He was probably just processing what Thomas had just told them.

"It doesn't matter," Newt suddenly shrugged. Everyone turned their eyes to him in equal surprise. Pan raised his eyebrows as if Newt had gone crazy. "Why?"

"Well it doesn't matter. Those two, Thomas and Teresa, are now sitting in here, just like us. No matter what they once did, they are no different now, than we are. It doesn't matter what was before the labyrinth, it doesn't exist anymore. The people we were before the labyrinth are no longer there." Newt explained. "All I know is that since Thomas came up here with the box, he has risked his life, so that we can get out of here. "

Now the eyes jumped to Thomas. He looked so relieved by what Newt said, that he almost seemed close to tears.

"The creators did this to us, not Tommy and Teresa. The Creators. And they'll be sorry for that." At the end of his monologue, Newt sounded almost aggressive.

"Whatever, good that. Let's start and plan the escape, at least we now know how to use the code," Minho spoke decisively. He was about to stand up, but J held him tight. "Have you forgotten where we have to go to use the code? Do you really think we'll survive this? Okay, maybe we will, you and me. But the others..."

J couldn't help but give Pan, Newt and Chuck a doubtful look. "They're not used to running."

"Careful!", Pfanne looked at J warningly. "You don't even know what I'm capable of."

But Thomas intervened. "We must do it! There is no other option. The cave we found, the Griever's Nest, is the only way out. It is the last test."