Scorched // Thomas (The Scorch Trials)

V

Thomas and Aris made it to where they needed to go. They jumped down from the vent and after making sure the coast was clear, Thomas swiped the card.

The door opened to reveal a lab of some sort. They walked through a second door and Thomas frowned. "What the hell?"

There were bodies hanging by it looked like their necks. They had breathing tubes, and it looked like they were collecting some sort of liquid. Thomas walked up to a brunette girl. "Teresa?" He pushed her hair back, relieved it wasn't his friend.

"It's Rachel." Aris said. "They took her the first night. I told her it was going to be okay."

The sound of a door opening caught their attention. Thomas and Aris quickly hid behind the columns. Two men walked in and Janson asked, "You sure this can't wait?"

The second man answered, "She wanted to speak with you personally."

"As if I don't have have enough to deal with."

"Just bear with me. I'm getting some interference from the storm."

"Come on. It's good enough."

"Make the connection."

The screen flickered to reveal the same woman they'd seen on the screen when the first got out of the maze. "Good evening, Doctor Paige. Lovely to see you again. Although I admit...I wasn't expecting to hear from you quite so soon."

"Change of plans, Janson. I'll be arriving a little sooner than expected. First thing tomorrow."

"We'll be delighted to have you. I think you'll be pleased with the progress we've made. As you can see, early results have been extremely promising. Whatever it is you've been doing to them in there, it's working."

"Not well enough. I just received board approval. I want all the remaining subjects sedated and prepped for harvest by the time I arrive."

"Including your daughter? Doctor Paige, we are going as fast as we can. We are still running tests..."

"Yes, including my daughter. Try something faster. Until I can guarantee their security, this is the best plan."

"Ma'am, security is my job. We're on 24-hour lockdown here. I am assuring you...the assets are secure."

"Have you found the Right Arm?"

"Not yet. We tracked them as far as the mountains."

"So they're still out there. And they've already hit two of our installations." Thomas glanced back at Aris. "They want these kids as badly as we do. And I cannot...I cannot afford another loss. Not now, when I am so close to a cure. If you are not up to the task, I will find someone who is."

"That won't be necessary. Might I suggest we start with the most recent arrivals?"

"Just get it done. Janson. I don't want them to feel any pain."

"They won't feel a thing."

Thomas rushed back through the vent into the room.

"Thomas!" Ariella cried.

He darted around the room. "We gotta go. We gotta go right now."

The room was filled with choruses of confusion. "What the hell are you talking about? What do you mean, "We gotta go"?"

Thomas started messing with the sheets. "They're coming for us. Paige. She's still alive."

Ariella walked up to Aris, glancing back at Thomas as he wrapped a sheet around the door. "What did you guys see?"

Thomas informed them that Ava was still alive and Newt begged him to stop and turn around.

He turned and cried, "It's WICKED! It's still WICKED. It's always been WICKED."

Thomas placed a mattress in front of the door. Newt placed a hand on Thomas' shoulder. "Thomas, what did you see?"

The group managed to climb into the vents just in time.