Thomas had no concept of time as he went through the Changing. It started much like his first memory of the Box—dark and cold. But this time he had no sensation of anything touching his feet or body. He floated in emptiness, stared into a void of black. He saw nothing, heard nothing, smelled nothing. It was as if someone had stolen his five senses, leaving him in a vacuum. Time stretched on. And on. Fear turned into curiosity, which turned into boredom. Finally, after an interminable wait, things began to change. A distant wind picked up, unfelt but heard. Then a swirling mist of whiteness appeared far in the distance—a spinning tornado of smoke that formed into a long funnel, stretching out until he could see neither the top nor the bottom of the white whirlwind. He felt the gales then, sucking into the cyclone so that it blew past him from behind, ripping at his clothes and hair like they were shredded flags caught in a storm. The tower of thick mist began to move toward him—or he was moving toward it, he couldn’t tell—increasing its speed at an alarming rate. Where seconds before he’d been able to see the distinct form of the funnel, he now could see only a flat expanse of white. And then it consumed him; he felt his mind taken by the mist, felt memories flood into his thoughts. Everything else turned into pain.

— James Dashner

Thomas: Is it [my brain] fixed? Brenda: It worked, judging from the fact that you're not trying to kill us anymore...

— James Dashner

Thomas jabbed a thumb over his shoulder and raised his eyebrows." You met our new friend?" Milo responded, a smirk flashing across his face. "Real piece of work, this guy. I have to get me one of those shuck suits. Fancy stuff."" Am I awake?" Thomas asked." You're awake. Now eat—you look horrible. Almost as bad as Rat Man over there, reading his book.

— James Dashner

Thomas remembered the image of the Cranks at the windows back at the dorm. Like living nightmares, missing only a death certificate to make them official zombies.

— James Dashner

Thomas was sick of being accused of knowing things.

— James Dashner

We can't play God. We can't do this to kids. You're evil, I'm evil. Everyone will die. No matter what. Let nature win.

— James Dashner

We can’t try to outguess them anymore. Sometimes they do things just to make me do the opposite of what they think I think they think I want to do.”“Huh?” the three of them asked at the same time, confusion transforming their faces.

— James Dashner

What's going on?" Newt asked, looking back and forth between Thomas and Arms. "Why're you guys looking at each other like you just fell in love?

— James Dashner

What was the point of even having a conversation when words couldn't be trusted?

— James Dashner

Wonder why we can do this,' he called out with his mind. The mental effort of speaking to her was already straining—he felt a headache forming like a bulge in his brain. 'Maybe we were lovers,' Teresa said. Thomas tripped and crashed to the ground. Smiling sheepishly at Min ho, who’d turned to look without slowing, Thomas got back up and caught up to him. 'What?' he finally asked. He sensed a laugh from her, a watery image full of color.

— James Dashner