The Fever Code
Chapter 58
by Dashner, JamesIn Chapter 57 of *The Fever Code*, Thomas grapples with the revelation that WICKED plans to subject the Gladers to another phase of brutal trials in the Scorch. Despite evasive answers from technicians, he pieces together their intent to monitor the Gladers via his implant technology. This confirmation erases any lingering doubt, solidifying his resolve to infiltrate the maze and save his friends. Thomas realizes the stakes are higher than he imagined, and he begins formulating a plan to enter the maze with his memories intact, knowing this is crucial for their escape.
As Thomas and the WICKED team traverse the harsh desert, the oppressive heat and relentless sun underscore the bleakness of their mission. The group heads toward an underground tunnel, repurposed from an old cartel escape route, where they plan to conduct tests. During the grueling journey, Thomas refines his strategy, focusing on securing weapons, disabling the Grievers, and finding a safe exit. Despite the daunting challenges, he remains optimistic, believing his plan is feasible if he can maintain his mental clarity and convince WICKED to cooperate.
The descent into the tunnel is eerie and silent, punctuated only by occasional whispers. The team reaches a Flat Trans, a high-tech device WICKED has repurposed for instant transportation. Thomas learns these devices were once accessible only to the ultra-wealthy, now appropriated by WICKED from the deceased or infected. The team activates the Flat Trans, and after a successful test, they prepare to use it. Thomas, though nervous about the technology’s risks, steels himself for the journey, determined to appear fearless in front of the WICKED staff.
With the Flat Trans operational, Thomas volunteers to go first, stepping through the shimmering portal despite his apprehension. The chapter ends on a cliffhanger as he disappears into the unknown, symbolizing his leap of faith into WICKED’s dangerous machinations. This moment highlights Thomas’s growing defiance and willingness to confront the organization head-on, setting the stage for the next phase of his rebellion. The chapter masterfully blends tension, world-building, and character development, propelling the narrative toward its climax.
FAQs
1. What is “Phase Two” in the context of this chapter, and how does Thomas react to this revelation?
Answer:
“Phase Two” refers to WICKED’s plan to send the Gladers into another phase of trials, likely in the Scorch, as hinted by Brenda and confirmed by the evasive responses of the WICKED technicians. Thomas realizes this involves long-range monitoring of his implant technology, which will be used to track the others in the maze. The revelation solidifies his distrust of WICKED and fuels his determination to save his friends. He resolves to enter the maze with his memories intact, believing this is the only way to orchestrate their escape (Chapter 57, pp. 231.12.11).2. Analyze the significance of the Flat Trans in this chapter. How does it reflect WICKED’s resources and methods?
Answer:
The Flat Trans is a high-tech transportation device that allows instantaneous travel across vast distances, originally accessible only to billionaires or governments before the Flare pandemic. WICKED’s use of it—acquired by repurposing stolen or abandoned technology—highlights their vast resources and morally ambiguous tactics. David’s casual remark about stealing from the dead or “Cranked” underscores WICKED’s ruthless pragmatism. For Thomas, the device symbolizes both awe (its engineering) and dread (its role in WICKED’s plans), as it may facilitate the Gladers’ transfer to the Scorch (Chapter 57, pp. 231.12.11).3. How does the setting of the Scorch and the underground tunnel contribute to the chapter’s tone and themes?
Answer:
The Scorch’s harsh, sun-blasted wasteland and the claustrophobic, “creepy” tunnel amplify themes of survival and deception. The oppressive heat and barren landscape mirror Thomas’s growing isolation and the bleakness of WICKED’s experiments. The tunnel, a repurposed cartel escape route, reinforces the idea of hidden dangers and moral corruption. Together, these settings create a tone of tension and inevitability, reflecting Thomas’s internal struggle as he plots his rebellion against WICKED’s control (Chapter 57, pp. 231.12.11).4. Critical Thinking: Why does Thomas insist on retaining his memories when entering the maze, and what risks might this pose?
Answer:
Thomas believes his intact memories are crucial for formulating an escape plan, as they provide context about WICKED’s manipulations and the maze’s mechanics. However, this demand is risky: WICKED could view his awareness as a threat and take punitive action (e.g., erasing his memories forcibly or isolating him). Additionally, his emotional ties to the Gladers might cloud his judgment. The chapter shows his optimism (“It really could work”), but his plan hinges on WICKED’s cooperation—a precarious assumption given their track record of lies (Chapter 57, pp. 231.12.11).5. Application: If you were Thomas, how would you navigate the ethical dilemma of working with WICKED while planning to undermine them?
Answer:
Like Thomas, I would maintain an outward appearance of compliance to avoid suspicion while gathering intelligence. However, I’d also seek allies (e.g., Brenda) to verify information and create contingency plans. The key challenge is balancing trust-building with WICKED (to gain access to the maze) and subversion (to free the Gladers). Thomas’s approach—focusing on practical steps like weapon access and Griever shutdowns—is pragmatic, but I’d also document WICKED’s abuses covertly to expose them later, adding a layer of accountability (Chapter 57, pp. 231.12.11).
Quotes
1. “No matter what it took, Thomas was going into the maze to save his friends.”
This quote marks Thomas’s decisive turning point, solidifying his resolve to defy WICKED after realizing their plans for further Glader trials. It encapsulates his loyalty and the chapter’s central conflict between institutional control and individual rebellion.
2. “He just needed to convince WICKED of two things—insert him into the maze, and do it without erasing his memories. For any kind of plan to work, he had to have his mind intact.”
This reveals Thomas’s strategic thinking about subverting WICKED’s system from within, highlighting the crucial theme of memory as power in the series. The quote foreshadows his unique role in the coming conflict.
3. “Believe it or not, there used to be a prison nearby. This was an escape route built by the cartels. We just adapted it for our purposes.”
This ironic description of WICKED repurposing a criminal escape route underscores the organization’s moral ambiguity. The parallel between physical and metaphorical prisons deepens the chapter’s exploration of confinement and rebellion.
4. “They don’t need to buy this stuff. They just steal it from billionaires who are too dead to care anymore. Or too Cranked past the Gone.”
This blunt explanation of WICKED’s resource acquisition reveals the post-apocalyptic world’s brutal reality and the organization’s opportunistic ethics. It provides world-building insight while reinforcing themes of survival and moral compromise.
5. “Thomas stepped right into the shimmering wall of gray.”
The chapter’s climactic moment, where Thomas voluntarily enters the unknown technology, symbolizes his leap into rebellion against WICKED. The simple sentence carries weight as both a physical action and metaphorical commitment to his dangerous plan.