Spoiler chapter

Department operation goes wrong, surprised by the drone in the living room, and confused by the device Harmony is wielding, shots are fired and in the commotion Pederson is hit.

Recriminations between Samson and the Sheriff get overtaken by the seriousness of Pederson's injury. Doctors in Doddington don't give him much hope.

Better medical facilities are available in Millieville, but no way of getting there. Then Samson (who has been arrested) suggests the drone. Melissa at first unwilling to countenance the move eventually gives way, but only under her supervision.

Drone is modified to carry Pederson on gurney, Samson and Melissa. They make the journey to Millieville

Switch back to Jack, Mr Pinko and injured Thomas in Millieville. They've been stuck there since leaving the Megatropolis. Thomas is in hospital and the other two working menial jobs to pay for it.

Mr Pinko is wearing Jack's hat so as to be invisible to the war-drones.

Jack is increasingly unhappy outside the Megatropolis. Despite all his moaning about society, starts to recognise some advantages. Starts talking about finding a middle ground.

Melissa, Samson and Pederson arrive. Reunion at the hospital, Jack and Melissa near overwhelmed after all the years apart. Start to catch up. Melissa sees her estranged son in hospital, blames Civic Centrale.

Thomas starts to recover, meets mother for first time. Mr Pinko delivers final message from Robert - he was killed in the initial Cit-Pro operation (torture maybe to get at what he knows about them?).

(Also possible revelation that Jack is the real father to Thomas? Maybe a twist too far though)

Meilissa wants to destroy Civic-Centrale, Jack wants revenge but also moderation. They start to plan.

The mysterious Cit-Pro agent in the hat turns up. Immediately attacking Mr Pinko by surprise to take out his only real threat (plus revenge for agents Mr Pinko previously snuck up on and destroyed). States aims of capturing terrorist cell planning to commit an atrocity (which is sort of true).

Samson and Jack attempt to charge the agent on the captured-drone, but agent issues some kind of wireless device/command that immediately turns off the drone. However, in the distraction, the badly injured Mr Pinko knocks the agent's hat off and grabs hold of him tight. Wishes Jack/Thomas/Melissa well then removes his own hat. Aerial drone annihilates both Mr Pinko and the agent now that they don't have their Hats and the agent is unable to issue further shutdown commands.

Jack/Thomas/Melinda/Samson try to work out what happened. It seems that the war drones can be remotely shut off after all. Tallies with what Melissa discovered at Civic Centrale all those years ago - it wasn't AI or aliens perpetuating the war, it was companies like Civic Centrale. Driving people/customers towards them, keeping people scared and compliant. Modern technology quickly surpassed that of the abandoned war-drones (hence why Samson's computer got control of the drone so easily) but Civic Centrale kept a lid on it to suit its own agenda.

Melissa still in favour of destroying Civic Centrale, but Jack wary of hurting innocents and losing all the technological gains that people would choose even if not manipulated by Civic Centrale - the middle ground. Samson explains about the drone factory, Jack starts to form a plan.

No point in attacking Civic Centrale as Cit Pro would easily defeat them as made clear by the agent's actions. But they can show Civic Centrale up for holding back the ability to end the war-drone menace and reclaim the Wastes.

Main characters (now also including Harmony and Department members) march the drones from the factory to the Megatropolis. Jack somehow smuggles them all in. He also makes contact with Josie, the younger woman from earlier he met on the way to the Towers. She is able to organise a public gathering and news coverage given her experience of organising protests against Civil Centrale.

They swarm the Civic Centrale head quarters, the Cit-Pro drones protecting the building, as per protocol, first use non-lethal means and easily shut down the approaching (unarmed) war-drones ridden by the Wastelanders.

Looks like their attempt was foiled, but then news of the events starts to spread, aided by Josie's actions and Thomas setting up local broadcasting signals that's can't be easily shut down by Civic Centrale.

Groundswell of revolution sweeps away Civic Centrale, but not quite as completely as Melissa wanted.

Final scene - back in the diner, Jack and Melissa moaning about the kids of today still stuck on the Transnet. However, it's not quite the same with more direct choice over city leadership. Trade with Wastes also opened up, sweeping away the gangs that profited from it being a sealed city as well as bringing better living conditions to those that chose to live outside the Megatropolis. Jack doesn't feel as aggrieved as Melissa, argues that not all progress is bad, just because they don't fully understand it. Some progress can even be good for old codgers like them. Ends with him turning on his iris augment to chat with Josie in the Mayors office / Harmony in head office of Cit-Pro.