Chapter 7 Chapter Seven The Three Rebels

Before Newt and Minho could answer, the Rat Man returned.Just by looking at their expressions, Thomas knew they were ready, 100% ready. More people crowded into the room, so Thomas looked over there, wondering what was going on.Every one of them in attendance is wearing a slightly baggy jumpsuit with WICKED written across the chest.Thomas suddenly felt that all the details of this game—this experiment were so carefully designed.Could it be that the name of their organization was one of the variables from the beginning?A clearly threatening word, but telling them it's a good institution?Most likely it's just another stimulus to see how their brain reacts and feels.

It's all a guessing game, and it has been from the beginning. Each of the doctors—Thomas assumed they were doctors, as the Rat Man had said—went to a bed.They fiddled with the masks hanging from the ceiling, adjusted the pipes, and trimmed handles and switches that Thomas couldn't see. "We've assigned a bed to each of you," said the Rat Man, looking at the note he had brought on the plywood. "The people in this room are..." he crackled. A few names, including Sonia and Ares, but no Thomas or any Gladiator. "Follow me if you don't have a name."

The whole scene becomes a little weird, very casual and lighthearted compared to the seriousness of what's going on, like a gangster calling roll call before slaughtering a bunch of crying traitors.Thomas didn't know what to do, he couldn't do anything but wait for the opportunity to present itself. He and the others silently followed the Rat Man out of the room, down another long, windowless corridor, and stopped at the door of another door.Their guide read the list again, this time including Frypan and Newt. "I'm not doing it," Newt declared. "You said we could decide for ourselves, and that's my decision." He and Thomas exchanged an angry look, as if to say that they'd better do something soon, Otherwise he's going to go crazy.

"All right," the Rat Man answered him. "You'll change your mind soon. Follow me until I've arranged the others." "What about you, Frypan?" Thomas asked, trying to hide his surprise that the Rat Man let Newt go so easily. The chef suddenly became very wimpy. "I... think I'll let them do it." Thomas was shocked. "Are you crazy?" Minho asked. Frypan shook his head, trying to defend himself: "I want to restore my memory, you make your decision, I make mine." "Let's go on," said the Rat Man. Frypan was out of sight after hurrying into the room, perhaps to avoid unnecessary argument.Thomas knew he had to let him go: all he could do now was to find his own way, to find a way out, and hope to save everyone if he got the chance.

It wasn't until standing in front of the last door that the Rat called out the names of Minho, Teresa, and Thomas, as well as Harriet, and the other two girls from Group B.So far, Newt is the only one who has refused the procedure. "No, thanks," Minho said when the Rat Man motioned for everyone to enter the room, "thank you for the invitation, though, you'll have fun inside." He waved his hand mockingly. "Me neither," Thomas announced, beginning to feel a rush of anticipation.They had to seize the opportunity and do something. The Ratman stared at Thomas for a long time, his expression uncertain.

"Are you all right, Mr. Ratman?" Minho asked. "My name is Deputy Director Jason," he replied in a low voice, as if he was struggling to keep calm, and his eyes never left his gaze on Thomas. "Learn to respect your elders." "I might think about it if you stop treating everyone like animals," Minho said. "Also, why are you staring at Thomas like that?" Ratman—Jenson finally turned around and stared at Minho. "Because there are a lot of things to consider." He stopped and stood up straighter. "But, well, we said that you can choose for yourself, and we will insist on doing so. Come in, everyone, willing to participate ,let us start."

Once again, Thomas felt a chill run through his body.The critical moment had finally come, and he knew it.Judging from Minho's expression, he knew it too.They nodded slightly to each other, and followed the Rat Man into the room. This room was exactly the same as the first one, six beds, hanging masks, all the same, and the machine that started everything was already roaring there.Beside each bed stood a man, dressed in the same green color as the doctor in the first room. Thomas looked around and gasped.Standing by a bed at the end, in green, was Brenda.She looked younger than anyone else, with brown hair, a pretty face, and cleaner than when he'd seen her in the Scorched Earth.She shook her head quickly at him, then shifted her gaze to the Ratman; then, before Thomas could react, she was rushing.She grabbed Thomas and held him in her arms.He also hugged her tightly, although he was taken aback, but he didn't want to let her go.

"Brenda, what are you doing?" Jason yelled at her. "Get back to where you were." Her lips pressed against Thomas's ear, and she whispered to him, so softly that she could barely hear what she was saying, "Don't trust them, never trust them. Only trust me and Prime Minister Page, Thomas. Remember, Don't trust anyone." "Brenda!" the Rat Man almost screamed. She let him go and walked back slowly. "I'm sorry," she muttered, "I'm just glad to see him get past the third hurdle, I can't help myself." She walked back to her place and looked back at them again, with no expression on her face.

Jansen scolded her, saying, "We don't have time for this!" Thomas couldn't take his eyes off her, didn't know what to think or feel.He didn't trust WICKED anymore, so what she said had brought them together.But why did she serve them?Isn't she sick?Also, who is the so-called Prime Minister Page?Is this just another test?Or another variable? After they hugged, he felt a great strength in his body.He remembered what Brenda had said to his brain after he was locked in the White House, that she had warned him that things were going to get worse.He still couldn't figure out how she'd done it—was she really on his side?

Tereza, who had been silent since she left the first room, came over and interrupted his thoughts. "What is she doing here?" she whispered, with obvious resentment in her voice, and now every little thing she did or said annoyed him. "I think she's a lunatic." "I don't know." Thomas murmured to himself, his mind full of scenes of him and Brenda staying together in that dilapidated city.It's weird, he misses the place, the time alone with her, "Maybe she just... threw me a variable?" "You thought she was part of the whole show, sent to the Scorched Earth to run these things?"

"Maybe." Thomas was hurt.It is indeed possible that Brenda was part of WICKED to begin with.But that also meant she lied to him time and time again, and he very, very hoped that wasn't the case with her. "I don't like her," Teresa said, "she's kind of... weird." Thomas refrains from shouting at Teresa, or laughing at her.Instead, he said to her calmly, "Go ahead and let those people keep playing with your head." Maybe her distrust of Brenda was more of a sign that he should trust Brenda. Teresa gave him a hard look. "Whatever you think of me, I'm just doing what I think is right." Then she walked away, waiting for the Ratman's instructions. Jenson assigned those willing to undergo surgery to individual beds while Thomas, Newt, and Minho stepped back and watched.Thomas glanced over to the door, wondering if they could rush out.He was about to give Minho a little push, but the Ratman spoke, as if he understood his thoughts. "Someone is watching you three rebels, don't try to do anything about it, armed guards are walking by as we speak." Thomas felt very disturbed that maybe someone had read his mind, could they read his real thoughts from the brain patterns they had collected so painstakingly? "That's a bunch of idiots!" Minho whispered while Jenson was busy reminding people to make the beds again, "I think we'll have to take our chances and see what happens." Thomas didn't answer him, but looked over to Brenda.She stared at the floor, apparently lost in thought.He found himself missing her terribly, feeling a connection to her that he didn't quite understand.He just wanted to talk to her alone, and not just because of what she had said to him. The sound of hurried footsteps came from the corridor.Three men and two women burst into the room, all in black, with equipment strapped to their backs: rope, tools, ammunition.They all carry somewhat cumbersome weapons.Thomas couldn't help staring at the weapons—things that tugged at distant memories he could barely touch, but again it felt as if he was seeing them for the first time.These contraptions glowed blue, with a transparent tube in the center filled with shiny metal grenades that hissed and crackled as electricity passed through them.Those soldiers were holding these guns, pointing at Thomas and his two friends. "We've waited too long." Newt said in a low voice. Thomas knew an opportunity would come soon. "They're going to get us anyway," he replied softly, barely moving his lips. "Just be patient." Jenson walked over and stood by the guards. He pointed to one of the weapons and said, "These are called launchers, and if any of you asks for trouble, these guards will not hesitate to fire at him. These weapons will not kill You, but trust me, they will give you the worst five minutes of your life." "What's the matter?" Thomas asked him, without a trace of fear, even surprised himself, "Didn't you just let us decide for ourselves? Why are you going to use force all of a sudden?" "Because I don't trust you," Jason paused, as if choosing his words carefully, "we hope you will take the initiative to do things after you recover your memory. It will make things a lot easier, but I never said that we You are no longer needed." "It's surprising," Minho said, "You lied again." "I'm not lying, you made your own decision, accept the consequences now." Jansen pointed to the door and said, "Guards, send Thomas and the others back to their rooms and let them reflect on their mistakes until Test tomorrow. All force may be used if necessary."