Chapter 61-Epilogue

In chapter sixty-one, the Bus Thomas and Teresa asked a woman what was going on. The woman said that it was a long story and that she would shorten it as much as she could. It started with the sun which gave of many strong solar flares that burnt out the satellites first and then killed millions. Then the ecosystem fell apart. Then the human consciousness was lost to animal instincts which is what the Flare is and how it affected the Brain. The bus stopped at a building where everyone was going to rest and eat real food like pizza. To all of them this seemed like luxury.

In the last chapter, all the boys had their own room to sleep in and Thomas ended up bunking with Minho. Minho asked Thomas if he thought that those guys are good guys. Thomas said that he thought they were the good guys because he didn’t want to worry Minho. When Thomas was almost about to sleep Teresa telepathically asked Thomas how he felt about Chucks death. Teresa also tried to comfort him about it and they both went to bed.

The Epilogue was in a form of an Email from someone who works with WICKED. The subject of the Email was about Group A’s result in the Maze trials. On the Email which was written by the Chancellor, Ava Paige talked about the success of the trials and also discussed about what Teresa wrote this was ‘WICKED is GOOD.’ The Chancellor wanted to remind her associates, who are also the readers of the Email, that goal of WICKED is to preserve humanity no matter the cost. The Chancellor also said that Stage two will commence tomorrow and that Group B’s result is extraordinary.

In chapter sixty-one I was glad to be informed about what had happened and what caused this apocalyptic situation. When I read the Epilogue I was amazed with what the people of WICKED were doing. The fact that the people who went through the maze weren’t the only ones there were also others who went through a similar trial. I was glad that the Chancellor explained the meaning behind ‘WICKED is Good’  because frankly everything that they have done seems kind of negative like putting people in the Maze, killing innocent people like Chuck, and creating Grievers to attack the people of Glade.

Chapter 57-60

In chapter fifty-seven, Thomas entered through the Griever Hole, Teresa had already found the computer and pointed that out to Thomas. Thomas made Teresa type out the codes while he fought of a Griever that had fell out from the Griever Hole.  As Thomas fends of Griever he killed it by stabbing it with a spear, which oozed out a yellow fluid which smelled like oil. Teresa has struck a problem; she couldn’t enter the last code ‘PUSH’.  With no Griever to distract him he ran to Teresa to help her but he couldn’t find a way to fix the problem and another Griever shot out from the Griever Hole and was about to attack Chuck.  It was Chuck who had also noticed that there was a red button bellow the computer and that was what they were supposed to ‘PUSH.’ The button said ‘Kill the Maze.’

The Griever in front of Chuck fell over and probably all the other Grievers in the maze too. Teresa and Thomas were wondering if anyone survived up top. Then Minho came down the Griever Hole. He told Thomas that half the people died, but he was being an optimist and said at least half of the people survived. Then more people fell from the Griever Hole and they also found a tube leading to somewhere else. Everyone slid down the tube leading them to a room where the Creators are.

In chapter fifty-nine, none of the Creators moved except for one. It was a woman, an actual adult and with her came Gally. Gally seemed pale and weak, Thomas asked Gally what has happened to him. Gally forced himself to say ‘They control me’ then started to chock himself like what happened to Alby after his Changing. Then Gally got a knife out from his pocket and threw it at Thomas. For some reason Thomas couldn’t move, he was too scared, but something or someone jumped in the way of the knife. It was Chuck, the knife was deep in his chest and dark blood started pouring out of his chest. Chuck’s last message was to tell his mother that he loves her. Then he lay on the ground, lifeless.

Thomas stopped crying and held himself together. Once he did the woman said that ‘everything happens for a reason.’ Then randomly people broke into the room and shot the woman and killed other people that worked for WICKED. The man who seemed to be the leader told them to run as if their life’s depended on it. He also said that he would explain everything later, When Thomas left the building he realized how hot and musty the air felt and got onto the bus that belonged to those people and drove off with them.

In chapter fifty-seven I was impressed by Chuck and by how much he had helped kill the maze. If it wasn’t for Chuck, Teresa and Thomas probably would have failed and everybody would have been killed. I think this would be an example of street smart because with regular smarts Teresa and Thomas would still be looking for a way to put the code in but with street smarts you would have thought that there was a button that would need to be pushed. In chapter fifty nine I almost forgot about Gally and assumed that he had died. When he told everyone that the Creators were controlling him it made me remember what Thomas said about the Creators also altering the minds of some people. I was deeply saddened for the fact that Chuck died and wasn’t able to find a family member in the real world. When the random people broke into the room and shot people I didn’t think that Thomas and the rest of the surviving Gladers would follow them without asking any questions.

Chapter 53-56

In chapter fifty-three, the keepers all agreed that they would take the risk and go for the Griever Hole. They all packed lunches, weapons, and got everyone ready to go tonight. Thomas was in the Deadheads with Teresa and they discussed about what they’ll do tonight. Teresa asked Thomas what he thought WICKED stood for. Teresa was still looking at a note that she wrote saying ‘WICKED is Good.’ It took Thomas a while but he remembered the Label in the Maze ‘World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department.’

In chapter fifty-four, everyone was ready for the battle. Everyone had what could possibly be their last dinner. Newt made an inspiring speech causing everyone to yell out their battle cry. With that they walked into the Maze leaving those who didn’t want to come in Glade.

When they arrived to the Cliff they already saw a dozen Grievers blocking the path to the Griever Hole. However none of the Grievers moved. Alby thought that maybe if the Grievers still followed their killing one person per night would still be applied here. Thus he ran up to the Grievers sacrificing himself. But the Grievers didn’t stop with him they started coming towards the forty people who came with them. Thomas was discouraged that Alby’s sacrifice was all for nothing.

The new plan was that everyone would push towards the Grievers and move them out of way to let Thomas and Teresa into the Griever Hole. Everyone followed that plan and started to push. Thomas saw Chuck about to attack the Grievers as well but Thomas grabbed him and told him to enter the Griever hole with him and Teresa. He told Chuck that it was because he would need him to protect Thomas and Teresa as they enter the code; however the real reason is because he didn’t want Chuck to be killed in the attack. Once they reached the edge of the Cliff Thomas made Teresa and Chuck jump first then he would jump in last making sure any Grievers didn’t follow them in.

It kind of irritated me that it took Thomas that long to realize that WICKED stood for World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department. I was really sad that Alby died and that he tried to die a noble death but it ended up being all for nothing. Throughout reading this book I realized that Thomas sees Chuck as a figure for a younger brother.  In Thomas’ position I would have done the same and made sure that Chuck would be by my side. It also seems like Chuck is depressed about this because it sort of devalued himself since he’s a slopper (who are people that couldn’t find a job so all they do is clean up after people) and Thomas is a Runner which is a Jock in everyone’s eyes.

Chapter 49-52

In chapter forty-nine, at Gathering Thomas said that the Maze can’t be solved. He said that the goal of the experiment is that the survivors will do something important for them. He also explained that they were apparently above average people and that they were taken at a young age. Even their names are actually nicknames that the Creators made up an example of this would be Alby and Albert Einstein, Newt and Isaac Newton, and Thomas and Thomas Edison. The Creators also have had some of the Gladers mind altered. The only reason why the Creators had put a Maze there was to make the Gladers think about a solution that doesn’t even exist. Thomas also explained that the only way out is through the codes. Thomas also revealed his that the only reason why he remembered all this was because he was their while the Creators did this.

Thomas told everyone that Teresa and he were used by the Creators to create the Maze. He even exposed that Teresa and he are able to speak to each other in their heads. He did all that to make sure everyone is still on his side when he told them about the Final Test which is to go through the Griever Hole where there is a computer to punch in the codes.

 In Chapter fifty-one, Thomas reveals his secret, Alby accuses Thomas of being a traitor and that he is on the side of the Grievers, but Newt and Minho stood up for Thomas. Alby finally breaks down and confesses to burning the maps and make himself look like a victim. He explained that during his Changing he saw the real world and it was horrible, the land was burned and that there was a disease called the Flare. Thomas explained that it would be better to fight their way and survive the real world than to die in Glade knowing that they could have been free. Thomas Idea of escaping is that he plays bait while someone punches in the code and deactivates the Grievers.

 Newt led Thomas out from the Gathering because he wanted everyone to make their decision without Thomas being there. Newt said that he would stick up for Thomas and convince people to agree with his idea. While Thomas waited for the results he met up with Teresa and updated her with everything that has just happened.

In chapter forty-nine if I was one of the keepers I wouldn’t believe Thomas or anything he says because it was totally different from what anyone could reasonably guess. It’s just like the allegory of the cave where people who are so used to see the shadows as life won’t believe that there is life out of the cave. I can’t believe that Thomas actually told his secret about being able to talk to Teresa in her head. I would have kept that a secret because it’s something that only those two can do and people would act prejudice towards them. In chapter fifty-one I was surprised that Alby out of everyone would burn down the Map room because he was the one that warned Newt and Thomas about it.

Chapter 45-48

In chapter forty-five, Minho and Thomas decided to return early because there weren’t any changes to the Maze so far. When they arrived to Glade Thomas received a telepathic message from Teresa telling him to come and see the codes. When Thomas and Minho arrive Teresa told them that the codes are FLOAT, CATCH, BLEED, DEATH, STIFF, and PUSH. The codes have been repeated in the maps. Yet they still don’t know what the codes mean.

 As nightfall came the Grievers once again broke through the barricades and terrorized everyone and took someone. But before they could leave Thomas jumped on the back of one of the Griever and attacked it. The other three Grievers surrounded Thomas and stung him multiple times with their needles. Thomas didn’t want to be taken away, so he jumped off the griever and ran from them as fast as he could. As he ran he passed out in front of Newt who took him inside and gave him the serum. Thomas whispered ‘Don’t worry, I did it on purpose.’ Hoping someone heard him.

                In chapter forty-seven, Thomas had no idea how much time has gone by as he was going through the changing. He felt as if he was in a vacuum not able to use his senses. Then he felt a sudden rush of memories flood into his mind. Then everything else turned into pain.

                 Thomas heard chuck’s voice and woke up seeing him crying in joy to see Thomas awake.  Thomas told Chuck to quickly call a Gathering. Thomas then told Teresa that he remembered some of the things they did to the Gladers which were mainly horrible. As Thomas was walking to the gathering he saw Newt. Newt knew why Thomas jumped on the Grivers and he wanted to know some of the memories that he got back. Thomas told Newt that everything was a test. The Creators were weeding out the weak from the start.

                While I was reading I didn’t really think about what they’ll do with the codes once they got them. Know the book got me wondering about how they’ll use the codes. I can’t believe that Thomas would do something as risky as that. He could have been mauled to death or the Grievers could have dragged him into the Maze. But once he said I did it on purpose it reminded me about earlier in the book when Newt forced Thomas to remember things, Newt said that he would even risk Thomas getting stung by a Griever to remember something during the Changing. When Thomas revealed to Newt that the Creators were weeding out the week people from the stronger, it reminded me of my biology class and how my teacher said that Darwin’s explanation of evolution is “survival of the fittest” and how the stronger one will survive and the weaker ones will die.