The Maze Runner / The Mortality Doctrine --- Fan Theory

WHO WANTS TO HEAR A FREAKING GREAT FAN THEORY?

(Note: I also have this theory on my tumblr account @pure-adulterated-killjoy if anyone cares)

 I'm a huge fan of The Maze Runner Series and the Mortality Doctrine Series, both by James Dashner. Okay, so, I'm sure all of you are really sad about Newt, the precious little cinnamon roll, dying. BUT, here's my theory as to why he is in fact NOT dead. That's right, no one died (except everyone who died in The Kill Order – Mark *sobs*). Not Winston, nor Alby, nor Chuck, nor Teresa, nor Ben, nor anyone else.

How you might ask? Weeeeeeellll, if you think about it (and lemme preface with the fact that this will only make sense if you read the whole TMR series and TMD series), they all exist on a linear timeline. TMD comes before TMR from my understanding. I mean, there's a reference in The Eye of Minds about Cranks, or druggies at this point in time, made by Michael when he and Sarah get the apartment temporarily. In The Kill Order, Alec says about how everyone in the cult (the one with the "scary man" as Dee Dee calls him) is acting like Cranks, or druggies from the old days. So this is proof of how it is linear. Not much time would separate the two series, maybe 30-50 years. By that time, the Sleep would've evolved, so humans could Sink longer, using some principles of The Mortality Doctrine (refined most likely by Michael). 

So what am I proposing? I am saying that all the Gladers were in the Sleep, hooked up to Nerveboxes somewhere, probably at the real life HQ of W.I.C.K.E.D. – I'm not throwing out the fact that there is a Flare disease, but rather I'm saying that they're using these people to conduct their research via the VirtNet.

The Swipe is actually the Core that's been evolved so that the subject's reactions are more raw and life-like. The FlatTrans are just Portals that have fixed locations and destinations. What about Cranks you ask? Tangents that are going through the Decay, some more rapidly than others. At this point, W.I.C.K.E.D, which evolved from the VirtNet Commission, can manipulate people more easily. They use many Tangents to do so. Essentially, everyone not in the Maze or Scorch Trials, like the people in Denver or some people from the city where the Underneath is, are all Tangents. Gally is a Tangent, hence he survives the would be lethal jump into a Griever. That, or he is simply told to sink again, after learning more of what's going on in the real world, where there actually is a Flare virus. It would make more sense however for him to be a Tangent, hence why they could manipulate him into "killing" Chuck. Newt is a Tangent, hence why he wasn't immune. However, that means that after he was shot, he would've Lifted in somewhere like Lifeblood Deep, at which point he would've become sentient, knowing something was strange, so that slows down the evolution of the Decay in Tangents. Brenda and Jorge are working with the VNC (or W.I.C.K.E.D., which I'll refer to as the VNC from now on, because that's what they actually are) so they are pretending to be Cranks, which they really aren't.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE CURE? Well, there still is no Cure per se, but thanks to research, in real life they are developing an antidote of sorts, most likely. Maybe not. Thomas could've screwed it up for everyone. Well, as far as the Tangents are concerned, they could've used a branch off of The Mortality Doctrine to "cure" them and help elongate their lives. I mean, Michael, Helga and Sarah could be alive still. Bryson's dead by now sadly (he was older than Alec, think about it), but Tangents outlive humans by quite some time. Take Kaine for example. Well, Kaine's dead now too because he inhabited that one guy's body, but that's beside the point.

But at very least, now you know your favorite characters didn't die, and you have a solid reason as to why not. As for the ending, everyone probably ended up being forced out of the Sleep, and then they would've been explained everything. The VNC would apologize but give them their memories back. The Flare would have hopefully been cured. If not, then maybe Kaine's plan would have to be implemented. Who know's? But that's my theory. Thanks for reading it!

Comment any questions you have! Thanks :3