Immunity Zone

Lore & Background

The WICKED complex serves as the primary setting for the prequel events. Thomas is given up by his mother at age five because his father has a bad infection of the Flare, and his mother gives him up for his safety. He is under the care of WICKED in its main complex. Thomas meets Teresa there, and both are kept separate from the others. They undergo blood tests and advanced classes. Dr. Paige acts as a parent to Thomas, and he soon becomes her favorite. The children sneak out and meet Newt, Minho, and Alby. Newt reveals that his sister was renamed Sonya and is part of Group B. When the five children are caught exploring outside, they are thrown into the "Crank pits" (except for Newt, who is taken to be tested for the virus since he is not immune). In the Crank pits, they encounter the founder of WICKED, who is nearly past his sanity and writes on a chalkboard, "WICKED is good." After this, the children have no secret meetings for several months. Teresa eventually manages to hack WICKED's security systems, allowing the friends to meet again. Thomas, Teresa, Aris, and Rachel are then recruited to build the Maze. At one meeting, Thomas and Teresa stumble upon Charles (nicknamed Chuck), who becomes like a little brother. Later, Minho tries to escape, and in front of Thomas, WICKED unleashes a Griever on Minho to show that anyone who tries to escape will be harshly punished. After the Maze is complete, Thomas's best friends are sent into it first. Thomas watches them covertly through "Beetle blades" and sees one boy, George, go crazy and try to kill his friends, only to be killed by Alby. Dr. Ava Paige explains that the Grievers have a virus similar to the Flare, and she places a cure for it among the Box of supplies. A WICKED official, Randall, is found outside the complex and is infected with the Flare. Dr. Paige sends Thomas, Teresa, Aris, and Rachel on a secret operation called "the Purge" to kill WICKED staff who are infected. Before the operation, Teresa reveals that she was originally the young girl Deedee from *The Kill Order*. A few months after the Purge, Thomas is sent to a desert called "the Scorch" to test a Flat Trans, a teleportation device, and is introduced to Jorge and Brenda, who indirectly reveal that the Gladers must go through the Scorch as the second phase of the Trials. Thomas hatches a plan to escape WICKED by inserting elite candidates into the Maze with their memories intact. Dr. Paige approves the plan, but the night before Thomas's insertion, she gives him a strange type of tea, which turns out to be anesthetics. She explains that it was her idea to infect WICKED staff with the Flare because they wanted to end experimenting after the Maze Trials, and she wanted the experiments to continue. She then orders Thomas's memories to be wiped. The book ends with Thomas standing up in the Box with his memories gone, setting the events of the main series in motion. A letter from Teresa shows that she knew Thomas's memories would be erased before insertion, and that hers would not. The letter ends with Teresa stating that she believed in WICKED and would enter the Maze with the words "WICKED is good" tattooed on her arm.

In Their Own Story

The source provides a third-person plot summary. Key moments include: Thomas and Teresa sneaking out with Newt, Minho, and Alby and being caught and thrown into the Crank pits; Minho attempting escape and having a Griever unleashed on him in front of Thomas; Thomas, Teresa, Aris, and Rachel being recruited to build the Maze; Dr. Paige sending Thomas, Teresa, Aris, and Rachel on a secret operation called "the Purge" to kill WICKED staff infected with the Flare; Thomas being sent to the Scorch to test a Flat Trans; and Thomas being given anesthetics by Dr. Paige before being inserted into the Glade, resulting in his memories being wiped.

Reader's Guide

The complex includes the following areas: the main complex in an Alaskan forest, separate living quarters for Thomas and Teresa, advanced classes, blood test facilities, the "Crank pits" (a punishment area where the founder of WICKED is found), and the Maze construction area. The complex has security officers and security systems that Teresa learns to hack. The temperature is not mentioned.

Did You Know?

• The WICKED complex is located in the middle of an Alaskan forest.
• Thomas is given up by his mother at age five because his father has a bad infection of the Flare.
• The founder of WICKED is found in the Crank pits, nearly past his sanity, writing 'WICKED is good' on a chalkboard.
• Teresa is revealed to have been the young girl Deedee from *The Kill Order*.
• Thomas's memories are wiped by Dr. Paige using anesthetics before he is inserted into the Glade.