Bradley allowed Lionel to set the pace. The mortal enemies had an uneasy truce; he'd explained that he would lead the ghoul into the city, but the only way he knew would work was for Lionel to admit himself to be judged by the High Ferrule. Lionel was leaning against the wall outside Detroit, staring down the soldier. The sun had set two hours earlier, and darkness was the only thing keeping them from notice.
"Control isn't aware that you are Phaeton," Bradley said. "Angus attempted to report Mayer and myself for breaking conditioning, but the message was not sent." Bradley had spent the last half hour trying to explain to Lionel that he was on the ghoul's side. He told him about the ISD, about the High Ferrule building an array to house tower mounted amplifiers for the infrasonic signal. He did not apologize for exploding the shack, nor for invalidating the ghoul in his successful attempt to locate the ISD.
He also didn't mention the Landis girl again. As volatile as the ghoul could be, Bradley did not wish to be assaulted again. Bringing up Celia might set him off again, and Bradley would be forced to terminate him.
"This thing, this device," Bradley said. "It's a thought dampener. It sets the tone for a more complete conditioning, by reducing the willpower of the subject. It emits infrasonic sounds that disrupt the mental state of anyone within its range."
"No free thoughts?"
"Yes." The old soldier paused for a moment. He stared up at the high walls behind Lionel. "This blank state, when overlaid with a mental conditioning program, can turn any person into whatever he wants them to be. It's called EXILE-8, and it is extremely effective in cowing your average citizen."
The ghoul slid down the wall and crouched at the base of it. "Sounds familiar," he muttered.
"With the TMAs set up in the Concourse, he can broadcast a constant stream of infrasonic sounds, and the radio towers in the area are already set up to broadcast the EXILE program into the music. He can order any person to fill any role, even if they have no prior knowledge. With no free will... The people would be like robots."
"I remember," Lionel said, suddenly.
"Remember what?"
"That thing, the EXILE thing." He stood up quickly. "Before the War, it was in the papers. I read about it, once."
Bradley turned to face the ghoul. "Memory is tricky, sometimes," he cautioned.
"Some scientist named Zadoroz―Zadrozy―or something― was working on a thing to make enemy soldiers walk out of battle. I remember that it sounded too good to be true." Lionel scowled. "They were calling it EXILE-3, then."
Bradley sighed. "The High Ferrule is a ghoul," he said. "It's entirely possible that he was the creator of the EXILE program."
"Seems too much of a fluke," Lionel grumbled.
"Detroit was a leader in manufacturing, back in those days. I know that much," Bradley said. "When the High Ferrule came to Detroit, he refitted the plants to produce armor, weapons, Pip-Boys." He held up his prompt and tapped a small inscribed number. "Not 3000 models, either. This is modified to react with our power armor. I believe it's likely that, if the High Ferrule was this Zadoroz man, he would understand that branch of science."
Lionel stared at Bradley's arm. "Does it fetch?" he asked, flippantly.
"What?" The ghoul shook his head. Bradley ignored it. "If he'd had the time to modify the EXILE program, he would naturally have changed the numeral. I don't quite follow the science behind it myself."
"Not my cup of tea, either," the ghoul mumbled.
"The people of Stockton might know," Bradley said. "It is possible we could locate them and break their conditioning, to better understand what we are facing."
Lionel squinted. "We don't have time for that."
"I fail to see how obtaining information would not help us."
"What is this 'us' shit?" the ghoul growled.
"Our objectives run concurrently," Bradley said. "You wish to free the girl, I want to remove the High Ferrule from power."
"I'll put my fist concurrent to your face," Lionel said. "Enough two-dollar words."
Bradley did not respond to the dumb threat. It was clear that Lionel did not have a detailed plan, which was perfectly alright with him; but simple was not going to be enough for this particular situation. "It would be a good idea to find a way to stop every radio tower, to make them cease broadcasting," he said, instead. "If we could get into the Broadcast Control Tower..."
"Will that stop the brainwashing?" Lionel asked.
"No, not all of it. What exists will continue until we find out how the break is triggered."
The ghoul stomped a foot onto the ground and growled to himself. "I don't like it," he said.
"Maybe your compatriots would be able to help," Bradley said, stepping away from him.
"They're gone, all of 'em," Lionel muttered.
"Who is that, then?" Bradley asked, gesturing to a group of five people approaching them.
"Kid, you really are some kind of stupid," Lionel said to Jesse. He couldn't believe that he and Sue had come back, after vanishing during the firefight at the tower in Flat Rock. Even more, he couldn't believe that Kelley and Jeremiah were with him, and Amos Royce. Lionel gave the bounty hunter a wary glance.
Jesse smiled, tiredly. "You know me, man. I'm always on your tail."
Lionel looked to Amos. "You?"
"Me," Amos said. "I'm here for Jesse. He's here for you. We're all friends, here."
"Some of us more friendly than others," Lionel grunted, looking pointedly at the teenagers. Jesse and Sue and looked away. Sue blushed. Lionel was reminded of Celia's reaction to his comment, in the shack, and his heart gave a heavy thud.
Bradley nodded to the group. "We have a tentative plan, here―"
"You have a plan," Lionel said. "Mine is separate." He glared at the soldier.
"Who is this guy and what the hell is he doing here?" Kelley asked, eyeballing Bradley.
Bradley started to talk but Lionel cut him off. "This is what remains of Paramount Force Sigma," he said. "Bradley."
The others, excepting Amos, jerked in surprise. "How are you not dead, man?" Jesse asked.
"And how is Phaeton not dead, if you are alive?" Jeremiah asked.
Bradley chuckled slowly. "We had a talk. He choked me a little, we talked again. He's promised to kill me when this is over."
"And you're trustworthy?" Sue gaped at the soldier.
Bradley removed his helmet, and extended a hand to the group at large. "I am willing and ready to help your cause," he said, gravely. "And I believe that Lionel needs the guiding hand of an experienced Paramount soldier to steady him."
"I'll say," Jesse muttered. Lionel smacked him upside the head, quickly. "Damn, dude―"
"Don't swear," Amos said. "You earn your lumps with disrespect."
Lionel stared at Amos. He'd half figured the mercenary would punch him for smacking Jesse. The last time he'd hurt Jesse, Amos had put that shotgun of his right to his temple. He was at a loss for thought, with new allies and old enemies around him. Didn't know what the hell he was doing, anymore. Couldn't predict people'd behavior. Didn't feel good, not knowing what to do.
"So, what is your plan, Lionel?" Sue asked.
Lionel grumbled to himself. Once again, too many people knew his name.
"He's going to rush in and get himself killed, I bet," Jesse said.
Amos sighed. "Jesse, just shut up for a moment. Lionel?" he looked at the ghoul. "If you really want to get her out, it would be best to let Bradley take the lead."
Kelley and Jeremiah exchanged glances, and Lionel knew he was going to be annoyed very quickly with the Royce brothers. "Shut up about that," he muttered at Amos. "Not everyone here needs to know about it."
"It's not weakness," Bradley said.
"I don't really care what you think," Lionel snarled. "It's your fucking fault, to begin with." He stalked away from the group.
Behind him, Amos argued with Jesse and the kid ran off into the surrounding wastes. He heard Bradley explaining that he'd retrieved the infrasonic thing, and how he'd removed Celia from the shack. Lionel punched the grime-coated metal wall and muttered curses under his breath. She was still alive. She should be dead. It would be better that way, easier. Easier for him to justify the stupid plan he'd made when he'd been laying on his back under his own fucking roof while the giant ants tried to get at him.
Just keep going, he told himself. If she hadn't come back to the shack, she would be another corpse in the wastes. Wade would have captured her, gotten the information he wanted―one way or another, and Lionel knew that pain made a fast talker―
Lionel didn't understand why Celia hadn't wanted to give the metal piece away, if it would have ended her involvement in the whole mess. It was that stubborn nature that made the Landis family something special, he thought. And what drew him to her, and kept her to him.
When I find her... He shook his thoughts free of rust. When I find her, I'll be a monster.
"Do you really love her that much?" Sue asked him, startling him.
"I don't know you well enough to get into that," he growled, turning to her.
"If you do," she asked, "do you think she'd want you to die on your way in?"
Lionel eyed her intently. "What the fuck are you on about?"
Sue considered him, her eyes barely visible in the darkness. "You've done a lot for Detroit, but you can't risk much more, if you want to be the one to save her."
"Leave me alone," he grumbled.
"Does she love you?"
After this, she won't. I can't be trusted, he thought. He remembered that shameful dream, and squeezed his eyes shut. Goddamn memories. Lionel groaned, and punched the wall again, in frustration. "Goddammit, Sue!" he yelled. "It's my fucking business! Stay out of it!"
She was quiet for a long time. He leaned on his fist, against the wall, his breath heavy. That dream memory had set him off. No, he thought, I need to control that. Fucking radiation, healing the part of him he'd wanted most, at the worst time.
"Lionel?" Sue asked.
He stood to his full height, and turned on the girl. Sue backed away from him. Lionel said nothing, but stared at her, his fist clenched, an angry look on his face. Amos was looking in their direction, and he knew full well the man was thinking about Lilian and St. James.
She stared back. After a moment, she asked, "Aren't you scared of turning into Phaeton?"
"How would you like to live the life of a ghoul?" he growled. "I have no choice!"
She was quiet again, and a sad look crossed her face. "Don't worry," she said. "I'm sure you'll die in Detroit before that happens."
He walked away from her. He didn't want to think about it, anymore. He just wanted to get Celia back and go home. That was all.