Trials Together (Book Three): The Death Cure

Chapter 3

The second the Rat Man finished the room erupted into noise, it was too much to take in. The state of the world, why the Trials had happened, that in the end almost all of them had been safe from the virus. It had sounded rehearsed, to lure them in. But after the Maze Thomas was sure none of the Gladers would be stupid enough to fall for their lies.

Getting his memories back seemed good theoretically, he would finally understand the strange dreams, his strange connection to his friends. Although, he would also understand what they had done to the rest of the Gladers. Would they be hated? Would it be like Gally again but twenty-fold?

"What should we do?" Aris whispered, the rest of the room was shouting chaos that Harriet was trying to calm. Judging by the fact that she was threatening Minho with castration Thomas didn't think she was having a terrific amount of success.

"I say we should do it. Even if we don't do what they say after we'll be in a better position if we understand." Teresa was making sense, a lot of it.

"But what else could they do in our minds." Rachel was also making sense. "I mean, I want to remember, but after everything who knows what they might do in there?" She tapped her temple.

They all thought for a long, long moment. The shouting was still going on, but it seemed to be calming, it sounded like most people were choosing to go ahead with the procedure.

Thomas thought he might risk it. It seemed stupid but as Rat Man had said, promised, there was no reason to keep them in the dark any more. No more Trials. His memories would answer his questions, get him out from under their thumb of control.

"I say we do it." He said aloud, almost all of the rest of the Gladers were silent.

"Same here." Aris smiled, Thomas looked at Rachel and Teresa and saw their agreement plainly.

It was settled then, they would take this risk. Thomas thought of the dream of the four of them, just before the Maze. Rachel reaching for his hand, promising to stay with him until the end.

They would stick together, always.

"What're ya thinkin' over here." Sonya was followed by Harriet, who looked like she hadn't slept since leaving the Scorch. For all Thomas knew the bags under her eyes could be tattoos.

"That we'll do it." Teresa said as they sat.

"Then we're in agreement. Any compelling arguments for those two." Harriet gestured to Minho and Newt, arguing with Frypan and Beth. "They're being stupid, and Minho does not seem to value his manhood at all."

"You've threatened to cut it off three times today." Sonya rolled her eyes at her friend. "After a while it loses the power."

"Yet it's still a great shame I don't have my dagger." Thomas wanted to edge away from the glint in Harriet's eyes, but he'd end up in Teresa's lap.

"Alright, now, settle down." Rat Man said from his podium, then repeated it several more times at gradually louder volumes until everyone shut up.

"I understand that this is daunting for you, but you have our word that we will remove all the equipment inside your brains. This will remove the Swipe that suppresses your memories, the equipment that allows us to control you and confuse your senses, the necessary machinery used to create telepathic connections." His beady eyes swept over Thomas and his group.

Thomas thought he could sacrifice the telepathy for his memories.

"Everything except the miniscule chips that record your brain activity will be taken out. Now if you will all follow me regardless of your decisions."