A glassy eyed, milky white stare. That's what meets my own dull gaze as the rhythmic shake of the train moving over grooved rail brings the engine to a gradual halt. End of the line it would seem, but I find myself too distracted to disembark despite this being my destination. Seconds pass and before I can blink the minute grace expires and the train doors slide shut. 

Oh well, these things go both ways right? Besides, there's a story here that I sure as hell am not missing out on. That's right, I'm an ace reporter, at least... I will be. Journalism runs through my veins as much as oxygen, I can sniff more than just stale air on this stuffy steamer, there's a scoop so fresh it'll boost me towards actual paid work. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to rent an apartment that isn't as old as it is cramped. 

My idle expression changes from one of concern, to confusion, to frustration and then to doubt. I should really have stayed in the passenger cars but curiosity is my inherent flaw and downfall, so here I am face to face with the driver. I'm travelling alone, so nobody is expecting me to return to the bar where I had situated myself for the majority of the journey, it was not until I latched onto a conversation regarding local horror tales that I decided to lift my head from the same sad tumbler of whisky I had been sipping since I sat down. It turns out that this place is quite a rumour mill, there's more superstition in this one rural town than in the city I grew up. 

"I try to avoid taking the train this late if I can help it, or at all on more secluded routes!" One had said, with another jovial drunkard replying knowingly with "Oh yeah I totally get you! Trains are like, hella cursed, they say that half of em here drive themselves after 6 and if you enter the front car you get cursed." It's all standard fair superstition really, but it helps pass the time. What really turns my head from the mostly melted rocks of ice is the interjection from another passenger, no, the conductor. 

"It's not for me to say but..." The thirty-something looking blonde starts in a somewhat hushed tone, the bar staff seeming to shrink preemptively. "Several of my co-workers have vanished in the past week, ever since this 'phantom train' rumour of yours started. Heck, I'd assume they were just quietly laid off due to a lack of income caused by all this stigma, but one of them... friend of mine... ain't responding to my calls or anything." The woman is shaken, as if reliving trauma, but her unease is in the present, even the people who should be above such talk seem to buy into these stories. Brilliant!

Tilting my head back I necked the remaining whisky and slammed my palms down onto the bar, gaining the attention of the small gossip circle. "Right then. Seems simple enough, I'm gonna go see for myself." The women seem shocked by my outrageous declaration, which gives me a satisfying enough kick to elaborate. "Well, it'll put your minds at ease right? I'll go have a chat with the driver."

"Uhm." The conductor squints. "Ma'am, you can't just waltz-"

"Or you, the conductor, could go communicate with the driver? It baffles me that you wouldn't have already done that but here we are."

The woman twitches. "There's a driver, not talked to them though, I just feel uneasy..." 

I smile triumphantly. "Then allow me to help, I'm a sceptic who happens to be very bored and willing to give you ladies a more relaxed, albeit less thrilling rest of your ride." 

Rubbing her arm, the conductor finally buckles. "Fine."

"I'll need a key." I smile innocently, trying not to lay it on too thick. 

This time, the pause is longer, the two gossiping passengers stare between me and the conductor. 

"...Fine..." I'm handed a key-card to the front car, something I definitely should not possess, she could get fired for this or at least in a lot of trouble... she must have meant what she said about her friend. Maybe this company actually is shady? Nah, I have seen this sort of thing so many times only to have a possible scandal rationalised in front of my hopeful eyes. The light of youthful naivety has since been snuffed from these eyes of mine, but I can still smell a story here even if it's bordering tabloid material.

My fingers clasp around the lanyard and key card, pocketing them discretely and making headway to the front of the train. My heart beats a little faster, unable to entirely dispel the mysticism of the rumours circulating throughout the locomotive. With any potential story, no matter how ridiculous, there's always that rush of 'what-if' that's impossible to dispel no matter what.

The further up the train I go the more sparse it becomes and by the last couple of cars it is all but empty, it would seem the ghost stories are not simply limited to a small handful. I got to this town only this morning and was on my way to my Airbnb, what exactly am I getting into, it could be a journalistic goldmine or an endless rabbit hole that never delivers. My rumbling stomach demands the former over the latter, money is tighter than a glutton's belt. 

I press the card to a touchpad beside the door and step through the doorway. This is not the first time I have bent the rules in my search for a scoop, but this time I feel more on edge than I have before. It could be the way the temperature in the air seems to drop by several degrees, or how all the windows seem to be sealed and the door slides closed behind me with no visible panel to get back out. I gulp, reminding myself how dumb it is to buy into local superstition after a few horror stories and a couple of creepy but likely innocuous happenings. I have been drinking too, whisky isn't known to make people sharper, at least, I have my suspicions it does not. 

Sure enough, there is a body in the driver's seat, a thankfully living one although that may be giving too much credit. The figure is as lifeless as the living can get, actually, regulated breathing making them almost still. Moving closer to inspect, I realise she's young, maybe early twenties like yourself. Despite being sat at the front of the train she hardly seems to be doing any driving, in fact she seems to be doing nothing but spacing out at the screen set into the control panel. My eyes look into her glassy eyed, milky white stare. The train halts but I remain on board.

My eyes trace from hers to the panel she seems fixated on. There, a screen flashes between the words "Erica" and "Link", the former in red and the latter in green. I blink and watch the words alternate on the simple LED screen, flashing in a jarring display that initially forced me to squint before I could adjust to it. What could the words mean, I wonder, why is the driver just staring at it...?" 

"Erica!"

"Erica! Report status!"

"O-oh uh, right!" Erica shakes the cobwebs from her head and grips each of the control sticks in her gloved hands, pulling them up simultaneously and staring ahead through her cockpit window. The image is unfocused, blurry, the inexperienced link operator can barely make out the buildings in front of her or the upturned cars decorating the cracked road beneath her feet... no, not her feet. 

"I-I can't see!" Erica follows up in a panicked tone, trying to remember what she needs to be doing or where she is. 

"Erica, link!" The voice returns impatiently and loudly. 

Once again the young pilot shakes her head, as though this is the most obvious thing in the world and she had still somehow forgotten it. With no time to lose she rotates her wrists until the backs of her hands stare back at her and pulls the control stick's triggers simultaneously. "Link!" She yells, unnecessarily. 

The red lights filling the cockpit change to green and then blue, the image in front of her focusing until clear as 20/20. The sight almost makes her wish she was still unable to make it out, flames erupt from the building ahead and past those... it stands in wait. 

"Neophyte Amon, your enemy, must be destroyed. C'mon Erica brighten up, you've already crushed two of these monsters. Should be a piece of cake." This voice is different, a man's, almost paternal but too close to the girl's own age. Still, they have a good few years on Erica and authority to boot. Commander first, guardian second, such is the way of things in times of conflict. 

"Easy for you to say." Erica mutters dejectedly, pulling her arms up, causing two great arms to pull up into her vision. The girl gets into stance, moving her 60 foot tall mobile weapon with ease. They call it a weapon, but Erica calls it how she sees it, she pilots a giant robot. 

"20 seconds until predicted enemy retaliation, last shot was off two metres from target centre and long range weaponry will take another 30 seconds to recharge. Current advisory course of action is to fall back, we have operator's Suzuha and Maisie on standby." Another voice fills the cockpit but Erica seems to only half listen, her attention not breaking from the monster in front of her, the enemy. It stands 10 metres taller than her and looks more like sculpture than creature, due to an excess of exoskeleton. The first shot she took was completely absorbed by it's external plating, though she missed it seems to have cracked the rib cage like armour... this is her chance!  

Lunging forwards, Erica brings her metal frame into full sprint towards the pillar of flames in the distance. 

"15 seconds until Neophyte advance resumes. Fall back I repeat fall back."

Again the order goes ignored, Erica crushing cars and smashing up sidewalks on the evacuated streets as she moves as fast as she can towards her enemy. 

"10 seconds until retaliation, Erica do you hear me??" 

The girl makes a quick movement to unplug her comms and continues her rush.

"Nine..." She mutters, taking sharp left to avoid a building in her path before sidestepping back.

"...eight..." Her grip tightens.

"...seven..." She takes a deep inhale.

"...six..." Her teeth stop chattering, she stops shaking.

"...five..." The enemy's several eyelids flicker open in quick succession giving way to a piercing gaze from two marbled red eyes.

"...four..." Erica activates additional thrusters on the back of the frame's legs to close the remaining distance and she finds herself making contact with the otherworldly being.

"...three..." She pushes both hands forwards and tilts her hands, controlling the mecha to dig its fingers into the cracks made by her shot.

"...two..." She pulls her arms apart and the robot follows, tearing open the armour like exoskeleton of the Neophyte and exposing its 'totem', which is like a heart for them... or more accurately a processing unit, so a brain?

"One!" She gasps as a shrieking whine escapes from the being and it begins to emanate a fierce heat. Erica quickly thrusts both arms forward and closes sharp metallic claws into the colossal totem, which is hard but brittle like glass. Whip-like bones wrap around Erica's extended body and begin to squeeze until the metal buckles, the mecha's functionality being crippled more and more with each passing second. Focusing with all her might, she squeezes the triggers so hard her knuckles go white and just as the entire frame is about to buckle, the totem shatters.

In a flash the heat subsides, the red eyes grow ashen black and the coiling ceases.

The enemy has been defeated. 

"Well?" 

"Well what?"

"Is she worth it, the next stage I mean?" 

"There and here she shows an inherent need to disobey orders and authority, but has proven herself resourceful and creative. The next test shall decide."

"My thoughts exactly, but I have no doubt she is a useful one, just needs some proper conditioning and true purpose. She actually was a journalist you know, or trying to be one. Picked her up in one of our taxis, so the train felt a good fit for the starting examination."

"I leave the tinkering and profiles to you, I have no interest in who unproductives once were, or what measures you have to go to with your tampering to set them on this course."

"No, I suppose not, you're one of those 'results only' type people right?"

"From my experience, conductor, those type of people tend to get results... and hate being asked too many questions."

"Right right, one more then, what scenario should we run for the final test?"

"She's shown herself as somebody who acts alone, maybe even unable to trust others. Yes, let's see how she handles a situation when that is no longer an option."

"Okay Sally, let me ask you this. How do you have your steak cooked?" Jessica asks with a playful grin, wearing a crop top and denim shorts, with an apron. The blonde stands in the kitchen by the stove, flipping over a mouth-watering steak with a spatula. "And like, not to put pressure on you or anything but this is like... one of the most if not the most important question you may ever be asked." 

You roll your eyes, wait, wasn't your name Erica? No, no, it's always been Sally...

In the living room where you currently reside, four other girls find themselves lounging around in a loose circle on bean bag chairs while in the middle sits a sizeable pile of wrapped gifts. The scent of Jessica's cooking wafting in from the open kitchen doorway meets your flared nostrils teasingly. 

"Hmm, that's a hard one, anything you cook tastes nice." You find yourself saying, finding it easy because her food really is to die for. 

Jess blushes and giggles, giving you an eye roll of her own. "You're only flattering me to get the bigger piece, Selfish Sally."

"H-hey!" You start, half flustered and half joking. "I resent that nickname, I'm gonna start calling you Jealous Jess if you keep it up."

"Oh really?" The dutiful, group appointed chef grins while adjusting the heat for the pan. "And what, pray tell, could I be jealous of you for?"

"Having a five star chef cook for me." You wink. 

"Oh come on, I took an online course, for all they know my food tasted like shit irl! You're embarrassing me."

You look around at the other four girls, each wearing a pair of headphones and relaxing into their beanbag chairs. "Wouldn't worry bout it, they're still listening to that track of yours. You're so multi-talented, a Jess of all trades!" 

"Music is my passion, I just happen to make tasty food for freeloaders like you lot. But uh, doesn't Jess of all trades imply I'm a 'master of none'?"

"Shhh, you're not bad." You joke, desperate for the food to be ready.

Your friend chuckles. "Really? You haven't even heard my new one, so save the critique." 

"Not my fault the headphone splitter only had four holes in it." 

Jess giggles. "Holes?" 

You give her a sour expression in return, but not seriously. "Oh you know what I mean! No offence though, they seem kinda bored by it."

The girl pokes her head out of the kitchen to inspect your four other friends, then she smiles. "It's a slow song, almost a lullaby." 

"Really?" You ask sceptically. "Wasn't your last one a house tune?" 

"We don't talk about that one, I was experimenting." 

Another smirk comes to your face. "Try experimenting with cooking steaks quicker?" 

"Ha. Ha." 

After exchanging a few more rounds of banter the steaks are plated up and she hands one to you. "This the smaller one?" You jibe.

"Just eat, you child." Jessica mocks back, sitting cross legged opposite you and digging into her own food. 

You waste no time in starting on your own, having not eaten since breakfast. It tastes predictably delicious, you could only dream of being this good at cooking. Alas, your time is taken up by looking for potential stories-- uh, that's not right... you are far too busy with your college work. Right. 

After eating some more, you grin and look around the small circle of friends again, before resting your eyes on Jessica. "It feels kinda weird eating like this with the others still in the zone, how long is your song Jess?" 

"Oh, not too much longer, you'll listen to it next right?" 

"By myself?" You always seem to do things solo...

Jess shakes her head. "Nah, I'll split with you."

"Egotist." You jibe again with a grin, happy to not have to do it alone.

Once both of you are incapacitated by the excess of food and find yourselves unable to take another bite, you both set aside your plates and the four girls remove their headphones in unison. 

"Great timing!" Jess laughs and the four girls seem a little out of it, so relaxed that they could drift off into sleep. A pair of headphones is handed to Jess and a pair to you, Sally. 

"Thanks Meg, was it as bad as the last one?" 

Your friend, Megan, stares at you deeply before giving a soft smile and saying in a distant voice "Haha, good one Sally." 

The reply makes you feel uneasy, it just seemed so strange and out of character for the over-bubbly Megan you know and love. 

"Woah, I really did put you guys to sleep!" Jess laughs. "Can't tell if that makes it good or bad, considering what I was going for."

"Only one way to find out." You say with a heavy breath, placing the headphones into your ears and sitting back, you hear the muffled noise of Jessica shuffling while no audio plays.

"Okay, ready?" She says with her thumb over the play button of her iPod. 

You nod and take a breath, still feeling full from the steak.

Jessica presses play.

Erica sighs, the adrenaline subsiding and the fear flooding back in. Her still and determined arms return to shaking and her head hangs while deep inhales of air pass in and out of her lungs. The enemy is defeated, her mission completed, so what if she disobeyed orders? Surely they would let her off if she still killed the thing right? What else is a link operator for?

Before she can ponder over this any further, she remembers she has to plug her comms back in and face the music. Her fingers fish the hanging aux and plug it back in, sound returning to the cockpit and filling it with... actual music? A shiver rolls down her spine.

"H-hello?" She asks. No response. "Conductor??" She asks. No response. 

Instead of the verbal lashing she was expecting to receive the moment she reestablished her communication device, she is instead met with nothing but gentle music. It's slow and soft, the best way to describe it would be to call it an 'Electric Lullaby', the beats rhythmic and satisfying, but most interesting of all is the subtle vocal track. While it becomes easier to notice the longer she listens, Erica still has to strain to hear it and making out the words seems impossible. A syllable here and there is all she can make out as she strains herself to listen only to the vocals of the calming song. She lets go of the controls and the mecha's arms fall limp by its sides, standing idly against the shell of its felled enemy. 

"Hello?" Erica tries again weakly, not wanting to speak too loud in case she misses a word she could have made out in the music. The longer she listens the less she seems to worry about where the music comes from or why, instead just using it to let herself relax after a stressful assault, after all she is in the safest place any human could possibly be right now. 

Slowly but surely, her shoulders loosen and drop their hunch, her posture relaxes into the cockpit seat and her arms cease shaking, this time without need of an adrenaline rush. Erica rests her head back and her eyelids drift shut, with each passing second her heart rate slows and her breaths grow heavier, until Erica is calm. 

"Uhm, thanks, I'm good now, you can recall me." Erica mumbles, figuring this was a precaution of sorts, makes sense given her actions. 

"Hello there." Says a soothing voice, melodically as though part of the song's vocal track, in fact if Erica was not so focused on listening she wagers she would not have made it out. Surprising to Erica is the fact that the voice is familiar to her, it is that of her conductor, Jessica. "No need to respond, you must be tired, rest your voice and listen." The lullaby continues and further placates the junior link operator, who follows the instructions naturally, a contrast to when the same voice had ordered her to fall back only minutes ago. 

"That's it, relaxing is the easiest thing in the world to do. You're safe in here." The voice seems to become louder and the rest of the song fades away, when in reality the volume stays the same, Erica simply adjusts to a new way of listening. "You're vulnerable now, but that's okay because you know you're safe." Jessica continues. "And because you trust me completely." 

Erica smiles subconsciously, she trusts Jessica completely... but then, why did she disobey her? The pilot's smile becomes a slight frown and her eyes slowly open.

"You trust me to take care of you, because you know I care about you."

Erica once again feels a pang of guilt for having not placed her complete trust in Jessica.

"You're so loose now, loose, free and trusting enough that even if you fell asleep, you would trust and follow my words. No need to keep your guard up."

No... when Erica kept her guard up and rebelled, it was hard. She had to fight. Fighting is tiring...

"In fact, it would feel so nice to drift asleep right now I bet, my words will still be here to guide you along, words you can trust and enjoy."

The complicated expression on Erica's face simplifies once again into a slight smile. Her conductor's words just feel... right. 

"How about you let me guide you down? Would you like that?"

Erica tries to nod and her head almost rolls all the way forwards, it just feels so heavy.

"Good girl." Jessica says enthusiastically, genuinely.  "Then let your mind drift off to sleep in ten..."

A countdown, Erica remembers this...

"...nine..." Her body shifts to the right, before rocking back left.

"...eight..." Her body slackens.

"...seven..." She exhales deeply, releasing any tension or inhibition left inside.

"...six..." Another shiver runs through her, this time in anticipation.

"...five..." Her eyelids flicker closed.

"...four..." She shifts her legs.

"...three..." Her fingers dig into the locks on her operator suit instinctively.

"...two..." She twists then pries open the locks, letting her body breathe as synthetic material peels away from her chest, exposing it to the cool blue light.

"One, sleep." She gasps before releasing control entirely and drifting into deep sleep, her eyes rolling back and her entire body becoming slack. 

The enemy has been defeated.

"Good girl, you are going to do everything I tell you now, aren't you?"

"Yes Jessica."