I set the throttle and ran my hands over the activation runes along the speeder. The promethium fueled vehicle roared to life and audibly lifted off the ground. Emmaline-with-false-modesty squeaked, but then fixed her hair and professed it was nothing. I pushed the level for thrust and she cried out as she was nearly set careening into the backseat, but with a will she kept herself seated as if she controlled gravity. It seemed Emmaline was getting more used to the mind-scape, though I was afraid it was almost too late. As we streaked up the wooded mountain, snow and crags dotting the landscape between the immense collection of pines, I found myself wondering if there was even a train up ahead. 

Past a break in the trees, another speeding skidded into view from the left. Faceless mercs from Demick's memory held on as they aimed their submachine guns, the vehicle sliding closer to get a better shot at them. Emmaline was about to open fire with a lascarbine of her own, before there was a flash, and a deafening BOOM, and the merc's speeder was torn asunder. The mercs that had not died on impact flailed for dear life as they were shot out of the vehicle over a hundred kilometers per hour. Behind me, a fascimile of Lazarus hefted his Transuranic Arquebus and gave a nod my way. 

Suddenly a large boulder rose up before us. I banked hard, the vehicle screeching in protest before I eased it back and redirected it to the tracks again. Above us, the sky was beginning to shimmer and blink, black to red in a coruscating horror show. Even the hills were beginning to undulate gently, as if reality itself was unraveling. The roaring wind was cut by a stormtalen helivehicle rotor blades, veering over them like a bird of prey adjusting its flight pattern so it could better swoop in for the kill. Stubber rounds knocked up snow and debris around us, and two hit the speeder, emperor protect with only cosmetic damage. Without warning, lighting engulfed the stormtalon, and smoke erupted from its body as it tumbled out of sight as quickly as it had come. I looked to my right, and above Emmaline-with-false-modesty was another Emmaline, robes of white and blue and holding her force staff, frost coating her golden hair. 

Emmaline-with-false-modesty turned to look at me, and her outfit blinked to a deceptively conservative satin dress with a cleavage window and a slit showing a shapely leg, her hair long and straight, obscuring one eye in a classically sensual fashion. "Even in my mind, you imagine me?" She asked, clearly touched and preparing to show her appreciation physically. "I mean, of course you would. But still..." 

"EMMA! CONCENTRATE!" I roared, spinning the steering on the speeder before we struck the opposite treeline, dirt and snow spewing out behind us. Luckily, that turn brought us in eyesight of the locomotive. To our left and right, trees began to whither and die as if both moisture and time was being sucked out of them. I slammed on the throttle, speeding up to outrun the collapsing mind. My glance told me Emmaline still wore her dress, but she also had a jump pack and a helmet on. A vox unit that had not been in my ear a moment before cackled with static.

"Keep her steady! Let go on my mark!" She told me. I sincerely hoped she knew what she was doing, setting the speeder on autopilot and unfastening myself. I placed my hand on the windshield and set my foot on the dash as we drew closer to the tail end of the train. Emmaline grabbed my hand, and I took hers and gripped tightly.