"[The Changing] brings back memories. Just little snippets, but definite memories of before we came to this horrible place. Anyone who goes through it acts like a bloody psycho when it's over—although usually not as bad as poor Ben. Anyway, it's like being given your old life back, only to have it snatched away again." (23.27)
No wonder Gally's so grumpy. The Changing sounds pretty awful. It's like being told that you're on your way to Disney World, and then your mom pulls into the parking lot of the dentist's office and says "Gotcha!" (Thanks, Mom.)
Quote 5
"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." (49.19)
Building a community ranks up there with fighting off killer mucus machines—they're both pretty difficult. Could they have been just as effective at surviving without having established their law and order?
"Chuck, how… old do you think I am?"
The boy scanned him up and down. "I'd say you're sixteen. And in case you were wondering, five foot nine… brown hair. Oh, and ugly as fried liver on a stick." […]
Sixteen? He was sixteen? He felt much older than that. (3.23)
We all feel older than we are… until you hit about 50. That's when you start to say "Yeah, I'm 65 but I feel like I'm 20 again." Side note: has anyone ever seen fried liver on a stick? We're wondering exactly where Chuck got this analogy from.