1. Who or what do you think “they” could be as discussed on page 14?

From the text, we can infer that "they" are the Gladers.

Thomas was hit with a wave of confusion, blistered with panic. The voices were odd, tinged with echo; some of the words were completely foreign — others felt familiar. He
willed his eyes to adjust as he squinted toward the light and those speaking. At first he could see only shifting shadows, but they soon turned into the shapes of bodies — people
bending over the hole in the ceiling, looking down at him, pointing.