INNOVATION -
CHAPTER THIRTY - TWO

⚘ THE TRUTH OF IT ALL ⚘

Thomas was unconscious for three days. And in those three days the Glade elapsed into state of bleakness.

    All hope had been lost at this point. Kalisa even caught herself drifting off into her own fears, too tired to even dream of an escape.

    Thomas's screams were worse than both Ben and Alby's. She didn't know what he was seeing, in fact, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know. She just hoped he would wake soon.

    Like all the previous nights, the Grievers came. And like Gally had foretold, each night, one Glader was taken.

    On the first night it had been a short 16 year old boy named Sam. He had tan skin with a few prepubescent blemishes, and a mop of dark long hair that he tied back into a ponytail. Sam was a Bricknick, though Kalisa hadn't actually ever met him, let alone seen him.

    When the Griever came for him, a couple of his friends ran after him, going as far as to run several yards out into the Maze before being forced to turn back. It pained her to watch as the boys returned with their heads hung low as Sam's screams echoed off the Walls behind them, almost mocking their loss.

    The next night it was Zart, Keeper of the Track Hoes. Kalisa knew him better than the others, but she still didn't feel like it was enough. Zart was only 17, he was still a kid. They all were. Newt had taken the loss pretty hard. He worked closely with the Track Hoes, and was good friends with Zart.

    Zart's death brought forth a bleak realization for most: nobody was safe. Not even a Keeper.

    On the most recent night, a young 14 year old boy named Eddie was snatched. He had sacrificed himself for his friend, not even a slight hesitation in his frail body as he threw himself in front of a taller dark skinned boy.

    The brave and selfless act was admirable to all, and as Kalisa watched the Builders scratch out the boy's names from the wall, she decided right then and there that she would always strive to be as brave as Sam, Zart, and Eddie.

It was around mid-morning now, just a couple hours after Eddie had disappeared out into the Maze, enclosed in the Grievers grasp. Most of the Gladers were running around, making quick repairs as usual, only stopping when they absolutely had to.

Kalisa was taking a quick break from hammering wood together. She'd been going at it all morning, and by now she had sweat dripping down her back, even without the help from the sun.

    She was grateful for the work however. It kept her busy, closing off her negative thoughts. But now, as she sat under a large tree on the forest line, her mind wandered aimlessly, pining from one bad thing to the next.

    Thomas should be awake by now.

    The Grievers were gonna be back in roughly 12 hours.

    The Maze was unsolvable, every lead or clue they had somehow gained, turned into another dead end.

    Gally was right, Wicked took one Glader a night. So if there are roughly 34 of them left, they would continue to be stuck in this depressing cycle for about a month.

Unless they figured something out. Unless they were able to crack the Code. Or if Thomas remembered something. Or if the Runners finally found something in the Maze.

Kalisa stood up, discarding her water flask on the ground in frustration. Sitting around and thinking wasn't going to help now. Kalisa knew that she wold only make it harder on herself if she came up with every bad scenario.

She needed to remember what she had told Newt: they were going to get out of here. Whether it be the last thing she did.

Kalisa continued working.

༻✧༺

Several hours later, Kalisa heard yelling coming from the Homestead. By now, she had finished building her portion of the blockage, and was going around helping the others where they needed it. But as soon as she heard Chucks urgent voice, she dropped everything and sprinted over to the noise, a flame of hope guiding her.

    It had to be Thomas.

    Sure enough, as she pushed into the med-room, she was granted with the sight of Thomas sitting up against the wall on his bed, with Chuck right beside him, looking overjoyed.

    "Kalisa, Thomas is awake!" Chuck grinned upon seeing her.

    "I can see that kid," She smiled and joined the younger boy in sitting beside the bed. "How're you feeling?"

    Thomas shrugged, "Awful."

    He looked different than Ben and Alby had. Stronger. Kalisa wasn't sure how or why, but Thomas almost looked completely healthy, maybe even stronger. As if the Changing had rejuvenated him.

    But he clearly didn't feel the same way internally.

    "How long did it take?" Thomas asked, resting his head back in exhaustion.

    "Three days." Kalisa stated. "We put you in the Slammer at night, took turns watching over you when the Grievers came. during the day we kept you here."

    "We thought you were dead about thirty times since you started, but check you out- you look brand new!" Chuck exclaimed.

    Thomas grunted and rolled his eyes, hiding a smile. "Did the Grievers come."

    Chucks smile faded, and he slumped down into his wooden chair. "Yeah. They got one a night, just like Gally said. Sam, Zart, and Eddie. Why do you think the Grievers are only taking one shank at a time?"

Thomas looked regretful as he spaced out for a second, then snapped back, looking burdened with knowledge. "Get Newt and Alby. Tell them we need to have a Gathering as soon as possible."

    Chuck and Kalisa shared a wary look. "You serious?"

    Thomas sighed, "Chuck, I just went through the Changing. Do you think I'm serious?"

    Chuck considered that before jumping to his feet, and running out of the room, calling for Newt the entire way.

    Kalisa looked back at Thomas, questions practically bursting from her mouth. But she restrained herself, noticing that the boy had his eyes squeezed shut in concentration.

    Kalisa leaned back in her chair and propped her feet on the table. She would know what he'd seen soon enough.

    Thomas stayed like that for a while, and when he finally opened his eyes he looked rather surprised to see her still sitting there.

    "You know, that was a pretty risky move you pulled." Kalisa spoke.

    Thomas sighed in acceptance. "So I've heard." He paused, as if thinking of a way to voice his thoughts. "Do you think it was a mistake?"

    Kalisa thought about the way Thomas had run after the Griever. The way he had thrown himself onto the contraption of deadly metal without a moments hesitation. The way his screams had possessed the Glade for the past several days.

    "No." Kalisa answered firmly.

    "Really?"

    She nodded, sure of herself. "At first I thought you were trying to save Dave, then I watched you get yourself stung half a dozen times, and I understood. You wanted to remember."

    Thomas stared at the sheets beneath him in thoughtfulness. "We just hit so many dead ends. And I knew that if we had any hope of getting out of here, we would need to know more."

    Kalisa crossed her arms and grinned. "Then I guess we should be thanking you. It was definitely stupid... but it was also very selfless."

    "And it worked too." Thomas looked relieved that she understood. "I remember."

    Kalisa kicked her feet down from the table and sat straighter, desperately needing to hear a speck of good news.

    Luckily, she didn't have to wait much longer. At that moment Newt walked in.

    He surveyed the scene, catching Kalisa's eye and giving her a small smile before facing Thomas. "Tommy, you barely look sick."

    Thomas nodded. "I feel a bit queasy, but other than that, I'm fine. Thought it'd be a lot worse."

    Newt shook his head, face looking angry, but his eyes looked impressed. "What you did was half brave and half bloody stupid. Seems like you're pretty good at that."

    Newt walked closer and sat beside Kalisa, in Chuck's old chair. "I know why you did it though. What memories came back? Anything that'll help?"

    "We need to have a Gathering." Thomas cut straight to the chase. "Before I start forgetting some of this stuff."

    "Yeah, Chuck told me- we'll do it. But why? What did you figure out?" Newt questioned.

    "It's a test guys, this whole thing is a test." Thomas rambled.

    "Like an experiment." Kalisa nodded, remembering the words on the wall that Thomas had told her about.

    "No, you don't get it." Thomas shook his head. "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 down everything was the last part, one more... final analysis. Now it's time for the last test: to escape."

    Kalisa tried to keep up with Thomas's explanation, relieved to finally have some new information.

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

    Thomas sat straighter. "Yeah. Call the Gathering, Now."

༻✧༺

    The next hour went by in a blur. She went around with Newt and informed all the Keepers of the Gathering that was to take place, then she argued with Alby, fighting to be let inside the Gathering.

    He had claimed she couldn't because she wasn't a Keeper, but he gave in after Thomas had vouched for her, stating that she played an important role.

    Kalisa wasn't sure whether she should feel relieved or even more worried.

    Finally, she took a seat along side all the Keepers to hear what Thomas had to say.

    "All right Greenie," Alby started. "Forget all the beat around the bush klunk. Start talking."

    "When I went through the Changing, I saw flashes of images- hundreds of them- like a slide show 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." Thomas began.

    "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."

Newt voiced the question everyone was thinking. "What?"

Thomas sighed and rubbed his eyes, obviously tired and confused. "Let me start over. We were all taken when we were really young. I don't remember how or why- just glimpses and feelings that things had changed in the world, that something really bad had happened. I have no idea what. The Creators stole us, I think they felt justified in doing it."

"Somehow they figured out that we have above average intelligence, and thats why they chose us. I don't know, most of this is sketchy and doesn't matter that much anyways."

Kalisa listened intently. After spending so many long, restless nights here in the Glade, she was finally gonna get some answers about who she used to be, where she came from, and most importantly, how to get out of here.

"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 and training, until they were finally able to finance and build the Maze. All of our names are just stupid nicknames they made up, Like Alby for Albert Einstein, Newt for Isaac Newton, and me- Thomas, as in Edison." Thomas carried on, glancing briefly at Kalisa before snapping his gaze away.

She recalled in her letter how she had described watching Wicked train the kids. She had called them something... immunes. She wondered once again what she had been talking about.

    "Our names... these ain't even our real names?" Alby looked like he had been slapped in the face.

    Kalisa hadn't even thought about that. The only thing they were given by the Creators, the only clue they had to their past, was just another lie planted for the benefit of others. For the past three months, Kalisa had held onto her name like a lifeline. It was quite literally all she had.

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

    There was a pause in the room as the Gladers took in what the boy was saying. "What are you saying, that we're freakin' orphans raised by scientists?' Frypan cracked, looking angrier than she had ever seen him.

    "Yes." Thomas said plainly, obviously dejected by the news as well. "Supposedly we're really smart and they're studying every move we make, analyzing us. Seeing who'd give up and who wouldn't. Seeing who'd survive it all. No wonder we have so many Beetle Blade spies running around this place. Plus, some of us have had things... altered in our brains."

    Most of the boys seemed intrigued by Thomas's words, but a few of them just seemed fed up, one being Winston. "I believe this klunk as much as I believe Frypan's food is good for you."

    Kalisa frowned, sure it was pretty far fetched, but Thomas was trust worthy. He was telling the truth, she couldn't explain it, but she knew he was.

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

"Just keep talking." Alby ordered, luckily masking Kalisa's sudden laugh. "But I don't get why none of us remembered this stuff. I've been through the Changing, but everything I saw was..." He trailed off, face looking guilt stricken and nervous. "I didn't learn nothin'."

"I'll tell you in a minute why I think I learned more than the others. Should I keep going or not?" Thomas said, looking like he dreaded that part of the conversation.

Kalisa was anxious to hear more, and this was all taking much longer than it had to. They were looking day time, and soon they would have to move back into the Homestead.

"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 a month over the last three years." Thomas went on, clearly eager to get on with his story.

"But why?" Newt interrupted. "What's the bloody point?"

"I'm getting there." Thomas sighed. "Like I said, they wanted to test us, 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 known to civilization: a Maze. All this added up to making us think there had to be a solution, just in our aging us to work all the harder while at the same time magnifying our discouragement of not finding one." Thomas paused and looked around, meeting all the eyes of the Keepers. "I'm saying there is no solution."

That was the hardest blow by far. Even worse than the names. What did he mean no solution? All this time Kalisa had been living off the fact that Wicked wouldn't make a Maze with no exit. It was just common sense.

And yet they had anyways. So what now?

Kalisa was so busy thinking, she almost missed the way the Gladers began talking over one another, each with their own opinion on the matter.

Thomas looked fed up, "See? Your reactions prove my point. Most people would've given up by now. But I think we're all 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."

Thomas looked angered now, face flushed as his voice rose with passion. "Whatever the reason, it makes 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 towards a solution that was never there. Same thing goes for Teresa being sent her, her being used 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. To test our will. See if we'll turn on each other. In the end they want the survivors for something important."

Kalisa felt his anger through his words. Everything he was saying defied what she had accepted internally. The Creators would never let them go. Even if they somehow got out of here. There was more planned for them. Their futures had already been written out.

"And killing people? Thats a nice little part of their plan?" Fry stood up.

Thomas suddenly looked fearful. "Yes Frypan, killing people. The only reason the Grievers are doing it one by one is so that 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."

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

"He will," Kalisa's voice came out quiet. "Just shut up and listen."

Minho cleared his throat, also speaking up for the first time. "Something tells me I'm not gonna like what I'm about to hear."

"Probably not." Thomas closed his eyes, as if bracing for impact. Then, he spoke. "The Creators want the best of us for whatever it is they have planned. But we have to earn it."

The room fell completely silent. "The Code."

Kalisa recalled the 6 words that they hadn't been able to figure out. "What about the Code?" She questioned, anticipation chewing her alive.

    Thomas looked at his feet regretfully, before finally meeting her eyes. "It was hidden in the wall movements for a reason. I should know- I was there when the Creators did it."

I feel like my updates are becoming slower and slower. Welp, hope you enjoyed this chapter! It took me two days to write, and originally I was gonna add more, but then I decided it would be too long, so stay tuned for next chapter where we'll be getting a lot more background on Kalisa! As always thanks for the support and happy reading!

2/28/24

3122 words