The Scorch Trials

Thomas is perplexed by the man in the white suit, and when he asks the Gladers who the man is, they say the man will not tell them yet; they must wait until the man is ready. When Thomas approaches the man, he bumps into an invisible glass barrier. The man expresses his annoyance with Thomas, and tells him that they “still have forty-seven minutes before I’ve been authorized to implement Phase Two of the Trials” (52). The man resumes his reading, and Thomas, taken aback by the man’s demeanor, finally leaves him alone. Minho calls him Rat Man, and tells Thomas to focus on eating and regaining his strength instead.

The Gladers all gather at the appointed time and Rat Man finally begins to tell them about Phase Two. He explains that sixty people were placed in each Maze, and that the events—the Variables, as Rat Man calls them—that took place were done to analyze their reactions. While he is talking, Thomas notes that Rat Man looks at Aris with a hint of familiarity, though he does not know if anyone else has noticed. Rat Man continues by telling the boys that their responses are being used for patterns, and that the patterns will be put together to “achieve the greatest breakthrough in the history of science and medicine” (55). Rat Man then tells them that he represents WICKED, and that WICKED is tasked with saving humanity. Their resources are unlimited, and they have the latest and most advanced technology to bring about their desired outcome.

Most importantly, Rat Man tells the boys not to believe anything they hear or see while going through the Trial. The exercise with the dead bodies was both to demonstrate the technology at WICKED’s disposal and to show them that appearances can be deceiving. In short, Rat Man tells the Gladers that everything up until this point, including Chuck’s death and the fake rescue, have been part of the Trials. As they are still short of their goals, however, Rat Man says that it is now time for Phase Two, and that Phase Two means that things for the Gladers are about to become difficult.

Rat Man tells the Gladers that though the Trials might seem like they are solely about testing their ability to survive, they are actually about something bigger, something that the Gladers will not understand until the end. He then recaps the destruction leveled by the sun flares and the emergence of the Flare. Rat Man also tells the Gladers that each of them has caught the Flare, which should be incentive enough for them to work with WICKED and do as they are told. The disease takes time to set in, however, and at the end of the Trials, the Gladers will receive the cure as their reward. Phase Two, Rat man explains, will begin the next morning at six. The rules are simple: “Find your way to open air, then head due north for one hundred miles. Make it to the safe have within two weeks’ time” (60). Rat Man then reminds them all that they have been given the Flare as an incentive to make it to the safe haven. He also says that if anyone tries to remain behind, they will die in a very unpleasant way. As Rat Man prepares to leave the room, he is suddenly covered in fog. Thomas and the others watch in awe as he disappears into thin air.