Fallout S2 Ep 7: Whose Head Is the Mainframe?

Fallout S2 Ep 7: Whose Head Is the Mainframe?

The stale air hung thick with anticipation as Lucy stared at the machine. Tubes pulsed with a sickly green glow, all connected to… a head? The realization hit her like a physical blow: Hank hadn’t just gone rogue; he’d crossed a line so dark it threatened to swallow everything. Fallout Season 2 Episode 7 leaves us grappling with a question that’s both shocking and deeply disturbing.

Whose Head Was Hank Using as the Mainframe in Fallout Season 2 Episode 7?

Ever notice how the most unsettling things are often hidden in plain sight? In Episode 7, Lucy, initially swayed by Hank’s vision of a “civilized” wasteland, is on a mission to disable his mind-control devices. She witnesses a former NCR member, now a blank slate, devoid of his past allegiances, serving Hank. The horror dawns on her: these aren’t citizens, they’re puppets.

Hank Maclean in Fallout Season 2
Image Credit: Prime Video (via YouTube/@PrimeVideo)

After handcuffing Hank and obtaining his Pip-Boy, Lucy confronts the mainframe, discovering it’s the severed head of the Congresswoman last seen in Episode 5 aiding Cooper Howard. She was instrumental in delivering cold fusion to the President. But how did she end up like this?

What happened to the Congresswoman in Fallout?

The leap from political player to organic CPU is a jarring one. The Congresswoman’s fate highlights the depths of moral decay in the Fallout universe. Her brain, once a repository of political secrets and strategic thinking, is now repurposed to enslave minds. The show doesn’t shy away from depicting the horrifying consequences of unchecked power and technological overreach. Her situation is a grim mirror reflecting humanity’s capacity for both innovation and barbarity.

The head serves as a stark symbol. It represents not only the Congresswoman’s individual tragedy but also the systematic dehumanization prevalent in Hank’s warped vision of order. The narrative implies a deliberate choice, a calculated decision to exploit her intellect for nefarious purposes. But the question of why *her* specifically remains unanswered, fueling speculation and dread.

Why Is Hank Using a Head as his Mainframe?

Think about the last time you struggled with a slow computer. Now imagine needing to control an entire network of minds. One theory posits that Hank needed a processing power beyond conventional technology available in the wasteland. He required something akin to a supercomputer, but those are scarce. What possesses comparable—or even greater—data-handling capabilities? The human brain, of course.

How does mind control work in Fallout?

While the exact mechanics remain murky, the Fallout series often blurs the lines between science and dystopian horror. Hank’s system appears to rely on advanced neuro-technology, capable of overriding individual will. The system, with the Congresswoman’s head as its core, acts as a central hub, broadcasting directives and suppressing independent thought.

Another angle: The Congresswoman might have possessed specific knowledge or abilities that made her uniquely suited for this role. Perhaps she had implants or cybernetic enhancements dating back to before the war, making her brain architecture compatible with Hank’s mind-control technology. Whatever the reason, the choice feels deeply personal, suggesting a past connection or a specific purpose beyond mere processing power.

Perhaps the Congresswoman was in cryogenic stasis, recognized by Hank, and repurposed for his twisted scheme. This is a ghastly resource allocation, even by Fallout standards. This congresswoman’s fate is not a bug but a feature of Hank’s grand plan. Her story is less a subplot and more like a festering wound.

What are the ethical implications of Hank’s actions?

Hank’s actions are not just unethical; they are a profound violation of human dignity and autonomy. He treats individuals as mere tools, devoid of their own thoughts, feelings, and desires. His belief in imposing order through mind control exposes a dangerous authoritarian mindset, justifying the sacrifice of individual freedom for the sake of perceived societal stability. Are we truly free if our minds are not our own?

Her head is not just a computer; it’s a trophy of war and psychological dominance. It’s a grisly monument to the cost of control, resembling something not from the wasteland, but from the darkest corners of human ambition. This is not a glitch in the system. It’s the system.

This leaves us with a question that will likely be answered in the season finale: Will the truth behind the head vindicate Hank’s actions, or expose him as a monster whose ambition knew no bounds?