Chapter 2 Chapter 2 The answer emerges from the abyss

Thomas has been imagining this happening, thinking about it countless times, imagining what he would do and how he would say it.Picture yourself rushing out, knocking down everyone who came in, and sprinting out, running away.But these thoughts were mostly just for fun, and he knew full well that WICKED wouldn't let that happen.No, he had to have a detailed plan before taking action. When the opportunity came, the door creaked softly, then slammed open, and Thomas didn't budge, surprising even himself.Intuition told him that there was an invisible barrier between him and the desk - like returning to the dormitory after following the maze.The time for action has not yet come, not yet.

He was only mildly surprised to see the Rat Man walk in—the guy who had walked through the Scorched Earth and told the Gladiators of their final trial.The same long nose, the same sly eyes; the greasy hair brushed back to reveal the obvious bald head, which is almost half bald; still wearing the ridiculous white suit.He looked paler today, though, than the last time Thomas had seen him.He carried a thick file folder stuffed with dozens of crumpled papers in the crook of his elbow, and walked in dragging a chair with a backrest. "Good morning, Thomas," he said, nodding stiffly.Before Thomas could react, he closed the door, put the chair behind the desk and sat down.He put the folder in front of him and started flipping through it.When he turned to the place he wanted to look at, he stopped and put his hands on it.Then a pitiful smile flashed across his face, and he fixed his eyes on Thomas.

When Thomas finally spoke, he found that he hadn't spoken in weeks, so his voice sounded hoarse. "Good morning only if I go out." The expression on the man's face remained unchanged. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't worry, you're going to hear a lot of good news today, trust me." Thomas thought about it, and felt ashamed to expect that, even for a second, and he should know better by now. "Good news? Don't you just choose us because you think we're smart?" The Rat Man was silent for a while before answering. "Smart, yeah, but there are some more important reasons." He paused for a moment and looked Thomas over carefully for a moment before continuing, "You think we like that? You think we enjoy watching you suffer?" It's all for a purpose, and you'll soon understand." His voice became more and more urgent and high-pitched, and it turned into a shout at the last word, and his face was now flushed.

"Whoa," Thomas said, much braver now, "keep your voice down, calm down, old man, you're so close to having a heart attack." He felt great when he said those words. The man stood up from the chair and leaned against the table, the veins in his neck swelled.Then he sat down slowly and took a few deep breaths. "People think shutting up in a white box for about four weeks will make you humble, but you're more arrogant than you were before." "So, you're here to tell me that I'm not insane yet, are you? You don't think there's a flare, and you never have, do you?" Thomas couldn't help it anymore.Anger was rising, threatening to explode, but he spoke as calmly as possible. "That's what keeps me sane. I actually knew you lied to Teresa and that this was just another experiment of yours. Well, where do I go next? Should I be sent to Go to the moon? Or make me swim across the ocean in my underwear?" he said with a smile for effect.

The Ratman kept staring at the snarling Thomas halfway. "Are you finished?" "No, it's not over yet." He waited day after day for this opportunity to speak, but now that this opportunity really came, his mind was empty.All the scenes that had been rehearsed in my mind were suddenly forgotten. "I... want you to tell me the whole truth, right now." "Oh, Thomas," the Rat Man said quietly, as if delivering sad news to a child, "We didn't lie to you, you really do have the Flare." Thomas was taken aback, and a chill quenched his anger.Is the Rat Man still lying?he wondered.But he shrugged, as if he had expected the news. "Well, I haven't gone crazy yet." At some point—after crossing the scorched earth with Brenda surrounded by demented patients—he would finally come to terms with the fact that he had the virus.But, he told himself, at least so far, he was okay, not crazy.Right now, that's what matters.

The Rat Man sighed and said, "You don't understand, you don't understand what I'm here to tell you." "Why should I believe what you say? How can you expect me to?" Thomas realized he had stood up without knowing it, and he was gasping for breath, his chest tilted to keep himself in check.The rat man stared at him coldly, unfathomable.Whether the man lied to him or not, Thomas had to listen to him, even if he wanted to leave the white house.He forced himself to breathe slowly and evenly, and waited. After a few seconds of silence, his visitor continued: "I know we lied to you, often. We did some terrible things to you and your friends, but it was all part of the plan. Not only did you agree , and helped finalize the plan! We're just taking things a step further than originally hoped, there's no question about that. However, it's all in line with the creators' vision—they've been cleaned by...you stand The situation envisioned from their point of view."

Thomas shook his head slowly. He knew he'd gotten involved with them somehow, but he didn't think he could put anyone else through what he'd been through. "You haven't answered me yet, why do you make me believe what you said?" Of course, he fell into excessive memory.Though the windows to his past were clogged with soot and revealed only bits and pieces of memory, he knew he'd worked with WICKED once.He knew Teresa, too, had helped build the maze together, and sparks of other memories had flashed by. "Thomas, because there's no point in keeping you in the dark," said the Rat Man, "it doesn't make any more sense."

Thomas suddenly felt bored, as if all the power had seeped out of him, drained away.He sighed, curled up on the ground, and shook his head. "I don't even know what that means." What's the point of talking when you can't even believe a word? The Rat Man kept talking, but his tone changed, less detached, less doctor or professor-like. "You obviously know very well that we are facing a virus that eats away at the brains and minds of the world. Everything we have done so far has been for one purpose, one purpose only: to analyze your thinking patterns in order to establish some A blueprint. Our purpose, is to use this blueprint to create a cure for the Flare. The lives lost, the pain, the struggles, when it starts happening, you know what's at stake. We all know , and everything we are doing now is to ensure the survival of mankind. We are very close, very close, very close."

Memories flooded Thomas several times, the shocking change, the dreams he had had, kept flashing in his mind, and they all struck like lightning.At this moment, listening to the man in the white suit talking, he felt as if he was standing on the edge of a cliff, and all the answers were about to emerge from the abyss, let him see what happened.The urge to get answers was so strong he couldn't control it. But he is still very vigilant, he knows that he used to be one of them, and helped to build the maze, and took over after the death of the original creator, maintaining the recruitment of newcomers to this plan. "I can remember enough to shame me," he admits, "but going through this kind of abuse, it's not the same as it was designed to be, and it's just wrong."

The Rat Man scratched his nose and moved his hip, something Thomas said touched him. "Thomas, we'll see what you think before tomorrow, and we'll see. But I want to ask you: Are you saying that it's not worth sacrificing a few lives to save countless other beings?" The man continued Once said emotionally, leaning forward, "This truth is very old, but do you believe that you can do whatever it takes to get the result? When you have no other choice." Thomas just stares at him, which is a question with no good answer at all. The Rat Man might be smiling, but it looks more like he's laughing. "Remember, you once believed this, Thomas." He began to gather up his pile of papers, as if to go out, but did not move, "I came to tell you that everything is settled, and our data is Almost there, we're on the cusp of something big. Once you get the blueprints, you can say whatever you want with your friends to ridicule how unfair we've been."

Thomas wanted to say something nasty to irritate the man, but he held back. "How did you torture us to get what blueprints you're talking about? Sending a bunch of unwilling teenagers to hell and watching some of them die, what does that have to do with finding a cure for the virus?" "It definitely has a big relationship." The rat man sighed heavily, "Son, you will remember everything soon, and I feel that you will regret it. However, there is one thing you need to know. This may Will bring you back to your senses." "What is it?" Thomas really didn't understand what the man was talking about. His guest stood up, smoothed out the creases in his trousers, straightened his coat, and clasped his hands behind his back. "The Flare virus lives in every part of your body, but it doesn't affect you, and never will. You are one of those extremely rare individuals who are immune to the Flare." Thomas swallowed, speechless. "Out there, in the street, they call your kind Immunity," the Rat Man went on, "and they hate you very much."