"Tommy," I said, entering the room, "Hey, lookie here," I smiled, "You barely look sick."

He nodded as I sat down next to him on the bed. "I feel a little queasy, but other than that, I'm fine. Thought it'd be a lot worse."

Newt entered the room the same time he did the conversation, "What you did, Tommy, was half brave and half bloody stupid. Seems like you're pretty good at that." He paused and shook his head, "I know why you did it. What memories came back? Anything that'll help?"

"We need to have a Gathering," Thomas said, shifting slightly, "Before I start forgetting some of this stuff."

"Yeah, Chuck told us," I said, "But why? What's you figure out?"

"It's a test, you two- the whole thing is a test."

Newt nodded, "Like an experiment."

"Thomas shook his head, "No, you don't get it. They're weeding us out, seeing if we'll give up, finding the best of us. Throwing variables at us, trying to make us quit. Testing out ability to hope and fight. Sending Teresa here and shutting everything down was only the last part, one more… final analysis. Now it's time for the last test. To escape."

Newt's brow crinkled in confusion, "What do you mean? You know a way out?"

"Yeah. Call the Gathering. Now."

An hour later Thomas sat in front of the Keepers for the Gathering, just like he had a week or two before. The other hadn't let Teresa in which had only served to tick the both of them off. Minho, Newt, and I trusted her now, but the others were still on the fence about her.

"Alright, Greenie," Alby said, looking much better now as he sat in the middle of our semi-circle of chairs. Newt sat next to him as always. Only two chairs sat empty, a cold reminder that Zart and Gally had been taken. "Forget all the beat-around-the-bush klunk. Start talking."

"It's a long story," Thomas began, "We don't have time to go through it all, but I'll tell you the gist of it. When I went through the Changing, I saw flashes of images- hundreds of them- like a slideshow in fast forward. A lot came back to me, but only some of it's clear enough to talk about. Other stuff has faded or is fading." He paused, "But I remember enough. The Creators are testing us. The Maze was never meant to be solved. It's all been a trial. They want the winners- or survivors- to do something important." He paused, suddenly looking lost.

"What?" Newt asked.

"Let me start over," Thomas said rubbing his eyes, "Every single one of us was taken when we were really young. I don't remember how or why-"

I remembered that… I remembered that… from the Changing, I remembered that, vaguely, I remembered being torn from someone's arms. My mothers. And I remembered being taken, talked about like I was some object…

"-just glimpses and feelings and things that had changed in the world, that something really bad happened. I have no idea what. The Creators stole us, and I think they felt justified in doing it. Somehow they figured out that we have above-average intelligence and that's why they chose us. I don't know, most of this is sketchy and doesn't matter that much anyway. I can't remember anything about my family or what happened to them. But after we were taken, we spent the next few years learning in special schools, living somewhat normal lives until they were finally able to finance and build the Maze. All our names are just stupid nicknames they made up- Like Alby for Albert Einstein, Newt for Isaac Newton, and me- Thomas. As in Edison."

Alby looked like he'd been slapped cross the face, hell, we all did, "Our names… these ain't even our real names?"

Thomas shook his head, "As far as I can tell, we'll probably never know what our real names were."

"What are you saying?" Frypan asked, "That we're freaking orphans raised by scientists?"

"Yes," Thomas said, "Supposedly we're really smart and they're studying every move we make, analyzing us." Nothing like constant vigilance to make you feel self-conscious, "Seeing who'd give up and who wouldn't. Seeing who's survive it all. No wonder we have so many beetle blade spies running around this place. Plus, some of us had things… altered in our brains."

"I believe this klunk about as much as I believe Frypan's food is good for you," Winston grumbled tiredly.

"Why would I make this up?" Thomas said, his voice rising, "Better yet, what do you think is the explanation? That we live on an alien planet?"

"Just keep talking," Alby said. "But I don't get why none of us remember this stuff. I've been through the Changing, but everything I saw was…" He looked around quickly as he'd accidently said something he shouldn't have, "I didn't learn nothin'."

"I'll tell you in a minute why I think I learned more than the others," he said, "Should I keep going or not?"

"Talk," Newt said shortly.

Thomas sucked in a breath before he began, "Okay, somehow they wiped our memories- not just our childhood, but all the stuff leading up to entering the Maze. They put us in the Box and sent us up here- a big group to start and then one every month over the last two years."

"But why?" Newt asked, "What's the bloody point?"

Thomas held a hand up for silence, "I'm getting there. Like I said, they wanted to test us and see how we'd react to what they call the Variables, and to a problem that has no solution. See if we could work together- build a community, even. Everything was provided for us, and the problem was laid out as one of the most common puzzles know to civilization- a maze. All this added up to making us think there had to be a solution, just encouraging us to work all the harder while at the same time magnifying our discouragement at not finding one," he paused, looking around at us all, "What I'm saying is, there is no solution."

Everyone began talking, questions overlapping questions.

Thomas held his hands up again, "See? You're reaction proves my point. Most people would've given up by now. But I think we're different. We couldn't accept that a problem can't be solved- especially when it's something as simple as a maze. And we've kept fighting no matter how hopeless it's gotten."

He blushed slightly at all the attention, "Whatever the reason, it make me sick! All of this- the Grievers, the walls moving, the Cliff- they're just elements of a stupid test. We're being used and manipulated. The Creators wanted to keep our minds working toward a solution that was never there. Same thing goes for Teresa being sent here, her being used as to trigger the Ending- whatever that means- the place being shut down, gray skies, on and on and on. They're throwing crazy things at us to see our response, test our will. See if we'll turn on each other. In the end, they want the survivors for something important."

Frypan stood, "And killing people? That's a nice little part of their plan?"

"Yes, Frypan, killing people. The only reason the Grievers are doing it one by one it so we don't all die before it ends the way it's supposed to. Survival of the fittest. Only the best of us will escape."

Frypan kicked his chair, "Well you better start talking about this magical escape, then!"

"He will," I said quietly, "Shut up and let him talk."

Minho, who been mostly silent the whole time, cleared his throat, "Something tells me I'm not gonna like what I'm about to hear."

"Probably not," Thomas said, closing his eyes for a moment and folding his arms. "The Creators want the best of us for whatever it is they have planned. But we have to earn it." He said, the room fell silent, "The code."

"The code?" Frypan asked with furrowed eyebrows, "What about it?"

Thomas looked at him, pausing, and "It was hidden in the wall movements of the Maze for a reason. I should know- I was there when the Creators did it."

For a long moment, no one said anything at all. We all just stare at him with blank faces, unsure of anything. Newt, looking baffled, was the first to break the silence, "What are you talking about?"

"Well," Thomas said, sweat had broken out on his forehead, "first there's something I have to share. About me and Teresa. There's a reason Gally accused me of so much stuff, and why everyone who's gone through the Changing recognizes me." He paused, as if waiting for someone to say something. "Teresa and I are… different. We were part of the Maze Trials from the very beginning- but against our will, I swear it."

"Thomas," Minho said, "What're you talking about?"

"Teresa and I were used by the Creators. If you had your full memories back, you'd probably want to kill us. But I had to tell you this myself to show you we can be trusted now. So you'll believe me when I tell you the only way we can get out of here." He paused, scanning our faces before taking a deep breath, "Teresa and I helped design the Maze. We helped create the whole thing."

Everyone stared, too stunned to respond. I for one, wasn't sure how a sixteen year old boy and girl could build…. THIS. Seemed Newt was thinking the same thing, "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, "You're a bloody sixteen year old. How could you have created the Maze?"

"We were… smart," Thomas said, "And I think it might be part of the Variables. But most importantly, Teresa and I have a… gift that made us very valuable as they designed and built this place."

"Speak!" Newt yelled. "Spit it out!"

"We're Telepathic! We can talk to each other in our head!"

well then...