The Gladers escape the Maze not by finding an exit themselves, but through a dramatic intervention where masked and armed soldiers rescue them, ultimately transporting them away via a helicopter.
Upon successfully navigating the final challenges within the Maze and confronting the masterminds behind their predicament in a laboratory setting, the Gladers' immediate physical escape from the Maze environment is orchestrated by an external force. This pivotal moment signifies the transition from their perilous confinement to an uncertain freedom.
The Intervention of Armed Personnel
In the critical final moments, the Gladers are met with a sudden and decisive intervention. A group of masked and heavily armed soldiers rapidly enters the laboratory where the Gladers have converged. These soldiers are not hostile to the Gladers but rather act as their escorts, indicating a pre-planned extraction.
- Arrival of Troops: Masked and armed soldiers breach the laboratory facility.
- Escort Mission: The soldiers take charge, guiding the Gladers out of the lab.
- Departure Point: They emerge from the enclosed facility onto the expansive sandy dunes that surround the entire maze and lab complex.
The Final Mode of Transport
Once outside the immediate vicinity of the Maze and its adjacent lab, the method of their final departure emphasizes the scale and organization behind their extraction. This is not a simple walk to freedom but a coordinated operation.
| Stage of Escape | Description |
|---|---|
| Lab Intervention | A contingent of masked and armed soldiers rushes into the laboratory, taking control of the situation. |
| Escort to Exit | The Gladers are promptly escorted by these soldiers out of the laboratory building. |
| Emergence Outdoors | They arrive on the sandy dunes that stretch around the perimeter of the maze and its associated lab. |
| Final Transport | Their journey beyond the dunes culminates as they are taken away on a helicopter. |
This sequence highlights that their exit from the Maze was less about their own discovery of an exit door and more about being extracted from a controlled experiment. The use of a helicopter underlines the urgency and the controlled nature of their retrieval, suggesting they were being moved to another location, rather than simply set free. This dramatic departure marks the end of their ordeal within the Glade and the Maze, opening up new mysteries beyond its walls.
