A mumbled susurration tickled her ears, her consciousness floating through a jumbled mindscape. There came a blast of light, a rumble of noise, and suddenly she was elsewhere.

Fiery explosions rocked the gritty landscape, dry soil spitting up clouds of dust, specks of rock peppering her. Shying away from the disorienting change, she flailed her arms to stabilize herself.

Up ahead were irregular columns, undulating in waves. It took her some time to realize that they were rows of people clad in yellow, formed into battle lines. They carried pikes and halberds, organized by red drones shuffling through the lines, shouting commands.

A loud roar rose on the right flank, catching her attention. Part of the line started to charge, the sound of weapons clashing reaching her position.

Curious about the battle, but unsure of her situation, she glanced down, trying to understand her current condition.

Her body was coated in a layer of purple rubber, forming a second skin. Mounted on top were tight armor plates that looked like some kind of exoskeleton.

The armor appeared unwieldy, but it was neatly layered, such that all jointed areas could be flexed without catching. Her boots were impressive, massive armored heels digging into the turf as she took a step.

The only area that wasn’t armored was her head, a tight, rubber hood gripping her skull. The feel of a tongue ring against the roof of her mouth confirmed that recent physical changes had followed her into her dreams.

She grimaced, feeling creases form in the hood as she studied the gauntlets clamped over her hands. A sword swung from a scabbard at her right hip, making her feel like a warrior queen.

Her attire should have made her worried, but by this point, she was resigned. Submission to Hive seemed all but inevitable.

In this getup, she looked similar to her doppelganger - speaking of which, where was her duplicate now?

More explosions peppered the field, none of them close to her this time. Nearby was a series of tents, flags waving from their tops in a light breeze.

The battlefield was surrounded by rolling hills, and the sky contained streaks of orange. It seemed that she was stuck in the dreamscape again, in the middle of a violent conflict. But who was fighting who, and what were they fighting over?

A small group of black armored troops rushed up to her as she continued to try and make sense of the situation. “My Queen, why do you sit and stare at the battlefield? Please, come away to the command tents so that you’re out of range of their artillery!”

Confused by the appellation, she assented and allowed them to close ranks around her and escort her back to the largest tent. As they approached, she was able to get a closer look at the flag.

A ferocious, purple dragon drew the eye to the center, iridescent colors flickering in shadow as it rippled in the wind. The dragon’s head was crowned with gold, a scepter cradled in one arm. Around the legs knelt various figures dressed in Hive colors. It was a standard fit for a queen, but not one of any normal terrestrial empire.

She had more questions than answers, but her escorts didn’t look like they were in an answering mood. One of them raised the flap on the tent, while the others halted and saluted. “All hail the Queen!”

A group of soldiers in black surrounded a single figure in orange, all eyes on a map table that crowded the center of the room. The table had a miniature layout of the local area, the battlefield fitting into a punch bowl, surrounded on all sides by hills. Through the central area ran an inverted V-shaped ridge, neatly splitting the opposing forces in two.

Stepping up to the map, Suzy exclaimed in surprise at seeing an orange-suited Nancy poring over the table. “Nancy!” she exclaimed, happy to see a familiar face in a sea of uncertainty. “Can you tell me what’s going on here? I’m really confused!”

“I’m sorry, your highness, I’m not actually Nancy,” the Nancy look-a-like said briskly. “I’m literally a figment of your imagination, and you’re at war.” She shrugged. “You might as well call me Nancy anyway; I’m a reconstruction of what your brain thinks Nancy is like.”

Shocked, but not entirely surprised, Suzy stared at the fake Nancy, narrowing her eyes. “A war for what?”

“The explanation is complicated, but the goal is simple - this is your mind, and we’re fighting for independence.” The warriors surrounding the table cheered.

“Unfortunately, we’re losing. Badly.” Not-Nancy gestured at the table, which was pockmarked with tiny figurines. “We’ve been fighting for days, with limited success, after an ambush took us by surprise. See, look here.”

Her finger ran down the right side of the ridge. “Just a few days ago, we were assaulted by a hidden mixed force of Hive slavers. We were able to fight them off, but only with heavy casualties.”

“What happens to soldiers that are lost or are captured?” asked Suzy curiously.

“They are derezzed,” replied Nancy. “Taken out of action and turned against us after Hive has had an opportunity to convert them. Unfortunately, we don’t have the same advantage. Any troops we defeat simply vanish. We still don’t know what happens to them after that.” She made a face. “Or, to be more accurate, you don’t know. We can only tell you things that you’ve already learned.”

Suzy groaned. “So, in short, we’re in an unwinnable war, and my proxies don’t know anything more than I do. Fantastic. What’s the current situation on the ground?”

Pointing at the map, her assistant laid out the battlefield. “The heavies that attacked us the first day are still on our right side, harrying our flanks. Their presence is pinning down forces we could use for counter attacks elsewhere. We have soldiers and workers defending that area, with a few overseers thrown in for general direction. The workers have built fortifications, which the soldiers are using to great effect.”

She traced a finger over to the left side of the ridge. “We’ve concentrated the troops that have more initiative over here, the hope being that we’d be able to come up with an effective attack. Unfortunately, nothing has been successful. Every time we drive a wedge into their line and roll up a battalion of their soldiers, another one marches in.” She huffed, annoyed. “If we had that many troops in reserve, we could have won a long time ago.”

Nancy tapped a finger on the center of the map. “This is the focal point, where most of the skirmishes have been occurring. Every so often they send scouting troops to buzz the lines, checking how alert we are. We think they’re trying to make us complacent, so that when they send in the big attack, we’ll think it’s another reconnaissance.”

“The worst part is that we don’t know where the enemy queen is. She’s been elusive, making sure to stay behind the protection of her heavies. She shows up when least expected and influences the battles indirectly by her very presence, demoralizing our troops. We can’t seem to nail her down.”

She straightened up and sighed, worry lines deep on her face. “To be honest, we’re not going to last another day. We might even collapse within the hour. The reality is, this is up to you, always has been. You need to challenge the enemy queen and make a final stand. Win or lose, this ends today.”

“What happens… if I lose?” Suzy asked, nervous about the answer.

“Your brain gets drained and you become a mindless drone,” replied not-Nancy flatly. “If that isn’t what you want, you had better hope you don’t lose.”

Suzy was taken aback by the blunt comment, but understood the implications. If she didn’t step up here and win this fight, she’d be spackling Hive walls with goop or stuck on a mindless security detail - permanently. “That’s grim. Is there a plan?”

“Not much of one,” she sighed, shaking her head. “You need to draw the queen out and challenge her to a duel, one on one. It has to be quick, too, before the enemy has a chance to throw another wave of brainless troops at us.”

Suzy pondered the situation. “We won’t attract the enemy queen’s attention unless it looks like we’re going to succeed at breaking through. The skirmishing troops have been at the center of our lines, so I’m going to guess that the queen is nearby. Even if we were able to make a flanking attack work, they’d plug the lines with reinforcements we can’t match. I opt for a full frontal assault on the center, and hope that we can draw the queen to us. Does that make sense?” Suzy raised her eyebrows at the Nancy look-a-like.

Nancy smirked at her. “Why are you asking me? I don’t know any better than you do. It’s certainly worth a try, since if you fail I won’t even exist.”

She waved at the tent flap. “Let’s get to it, we won’t win by waiting. Oh, and you’ll need these.” Suzy caught a helmet that was lazily tossed to her.

The same dragon from the flag flying above graced the top of the helmet in a rearing pose, gold filigree tracing the veins and curves of the metal. Wearing this helmet would make her look fierce! Suzy smiled, pleased at what her imagination had cooked up.

“Stop staring at it and put it on! You’ll need this, too!” Nancy pushed a long, wicked looking spear into her arms.

“Don’t let her fight you one on one, you’ll lose. Couch this in your arm and ram her through! That’s the quickest way to end this! Best of luck - I’ll be protecting your back!”

She patted Suzy on the shoulder and left the tent, shouting outside for the troops to muster. Dazed at the suddenness of the situation, Suzy reflected on the changes that had occurred.

She had gone from an office nobody to an outcast queen fighting for her kingdom against an implacable corporate Hive. The scenario hardly seemed real. Had she been transported onto the set of a reality TV show?

She couldn’t afford to take this lightly. If she didn’t suit up and go out there, she’d end up brain dead!

Not much of an option, really. Not much of an option at all.

She jammed the helmet onto her head, hefting the spear in one arm, marching towards destiny.

***

Suzy rode towards battle on the back of a creature that only superficially resembled a horse. To be more accurate, it was a simulacrum of a horse generated from what she thought horses looked like.

Not being a country girl, the proportions and motions of the animal weren’t quite right, but at least the ride wasn’t bumpy. On her right side rode the orange suited soldier that looked like Nancy, her helmet sporting an angry griffin.

There must be a lull in the fighting, as the air near the front line was deathly calm. The troops ahead were relaxing, a few forward scouts ready to alert them if the enemy should appear.

A small group of mounted soldiers broke off from the main regiment and rode towards her as she trotted up, one of them bearing her standard. Suzy felt a jolt of surprise as she recognized the leader, who looked like the spitting image of Lainey. Her rotund body was clad in red armor that shone like blood in the unnatural light of the dream.

She had to pause and forcefully remind herself that this was not Lainey, just a very good looking copy.

“My Queen,” the fake Lainey said formally, “we have done our best to hold the center, but our numbers are dwindling. What is your plan?”

“The best defense is a good offense,” Suzy replied, parroting some clichéd advice she vaguely recalled. “We need to form into a wedge, cavalry first, with the infantry close behind as our second line. We’ll ride ahead and punch through. The infantry will need to exploit this hole, opening the gap. We’ll push as far as we can. With any luck, the enemy leader will appear, at which point I’ll lead the attack against her.”

“It will be as you say,” said Lainey, saluting Suzy with her sword.

She pulled a bugle out of her saddlebags and played a series of low pitched notes leading to high ones, followed by several trills. The milling troops straightened up, collected their gear, and started to form their regiments. The cavalry mounted their horses and circled around, getting closer together in preparation for the wedge formation.

Lainey bowed to Suzy. “It would be my honor to serve at your side, my Queen.” Her cadre slotted itself into her group’s right flank.

Suzy stiffened her back for the fight ahead, taking the reins and directing her pseudo horse to the front. A small cheer grew to a dull roar as she rode through the lines, waving at her soldiers. Arrayed in shiny armor, their cheerfulness belied a general feeling of helplessness that hung over them like a pall.

“You’ve waited long enough!” shouted Suzy. “I know the despair you feel, but none of that matters now! We’ll crush the enemy, break through their lines, and defeat their leader! Follow me!”

Her brave words weren’t enough to dispel the mood, but the crowd cheered louder all the same. The ranks of infantry closed behind her, sorting themselves into two lines, their weapons shining in the harsh dreamscape sun.

The cavalry gathered around her, forming a wedge with her at the center. Suzy wasn’t surprised to see a facsimile of Shiori dropping into position on her left, the fake Lainey on her right. It was fitting - her mind was gathering all of her greatest allies today for the final assault. If they failed, there wouldn’t be enough left of any of them to care.

They pushed forward, dust clouds rising from the hooves of burdened beasts, their riders quiet in the face of imminent battle. To their left and right flanks more cavalry were forming up, ready to charge.

An advance scout clad in orange rubber galloped up to the lead elements, reining in her horse to match the pace of the rest of the cavalry. The formation slowed and loosened up to allow the scout access to Suzy’s position.

“My queen,” the scout said briskly. She gestured ahead of the column. “Just over the next rise sits the enemy’s army. Their scouts have spotted our preparations and they are forming up. If we attack fast and hard, we might be able to scatter them before they are ready for us.”

Her horse became jittery as a shell exploded a short distance away. “They have about as many troops as we do, and their artillery is accurate. This will be a hard fight!”

“Thanks, it’s up to us, now,” said Suzy. “Get back to your unit, we’re about to charge.”

The scout saluted, then twirled and rode off. The formation tightened back up, tension rising as they closed with the enemy. They reached the crest of a gentle slope, hooves thundering down the back side, directly into the enemy’s camp.

Smoke lingered from extinguished camp fires, the enemy soldiers buzzing like bees. They had been caught unprepared, as she had hoped.

Suzy narrowed her eyes. Would it be enough? There wasn’t time now to second guess her decision. She hefted her spear and nodded at Lainey. Her companion raised the horn she had been cradling in her arms, blowing a staccato rhythm.

“Company charge!” shrieked Suzy, sitting up in her saddle and giving her horse a kick.

Her gentle ride changed to a jolting rumble, making it difficult for her to keep her spear level. The company rode with her, matching her speed, hoof beats drumming incessantly on the dusty plain. Horses labored under their heavy armor, a wall of flesh bearing down on the enemy.

Unable to react in time, troops were trampled under the legs of the rampaging beasts. Those that weren’t crushed were picked off by the riders. Each kill was marked by a gentle buzz, dead enemies disintegrating into thin air, reclaimed by the simulation.

It was a rout, the enemy unable to put up significant resistance, their camp destroyed by the fierceness of her assault. Stragglers were mopped up by the infantry that had just begun to arrive.

Still, there were some casualties, a few horses without riders. For the most part, however, the attack had been a complete success. Suzy was pleased with the results.

Something was really bothering her, though. The artillery had stopped after they had finished their attack, but there was none in the camp they had destroyed. If it wasn’t here, where could it have been hidden?

A loud, low horn sounded from the woods behind the camp, enemy troops boiling up from the undergrowth. Artillery shells splashed down, sending billowing clouds of troops into the air. They twirled in a macabre manner, disintegrating into blue fuzz. “Sneak attack!” shouted Suzy, “form up on me!”

Lainey started playing ‘Rally on the Officer,’ but her troops were slow to answer. Some of the infantry had billowed out in front of the cavalry, chasing down the remnants of the enemy. Now, they were caught flatfooted, smashed by the new assault taking shape. Bright flashes of light and sizzling sounds signaled their exit from the arena.

Her forces in disarray, Suzy felt real fear. If they weren’t able to gather fast enough, she and her cavalry would be caught between the enemy infantry and her own troops, unable to maneuver.

“Line formation, three rows!” she shouted, hoping they would be in time. The bugler switched to calling ‘Disperse,’ the troops doing their best to obey her commands.

Fortunately for Suzy, the enemy had taken more time than they had expected to wipe out her scattered forward troops, allowing her company to reorganize.

At that moment, she spotted a group of enemy horsemen cantering out of the woods. Her eyes fixed on the standard, a purple octopus with many tentacles, arms curled around helpless Hive drones.

There came a flash of purple, and she could see her opposite number. She was immaculately armored, her ferocious purple eyes startling Suzy. Regal even in the maelstrom of chaos, she directed the battle from the middle of her protective screen. Next to her rode a red fiend, armor plates fixed over her striking rubber outfit, mounted on an animal that resembled a hellhound.

This was exactly what Suzy had wanted, but not in the way she had expected. How was she going to get to the enemy queen before her army collapsed? There had to be a way!

Suzy waved at the Lainey simulacrum. “Signal the attack, everyone push towards the enemy queen. Quick!”

A quick, bright tune issued forth from the bugle, and her troops roared, rushing their lines towards the enemy. An unbelievable din rose from the field, swords and hatchets clanging, screams of rage and fear.

Bright flashes of light and fizzing signaled the ending of lives. It was a remarkably bloodless affair, dead troopers scattering back into the mysterious mental matrix from whence they had come.

All strategy was gone now, each side committed to the fight. It was a brutish affair, the soldiers hammering into each other, crushing, slicing, cutting in any way they could. There wasn’t room for Suzy’s cavalry to charge, so they fought from horseback, taking what support they could from the infantry that had come up to help them. They used their superior height and weight advantage to push the battle forward, trying to get closer to the enemy’s commander.

The artillery fire halted, the enemy trying to avoid hitting their own troops, but now they had new problems. Spell casters had been brought up, casting fireballs which were punching great holes in Suzy’s lines.

Things were getting desperate - if they didn’t eliminate those casters soon, there wouldn’t be many soldiers left for her to fight with. Her troops in front redoubled their efforts, managing to clear a small hole.

She rushed in with her protectors, pushing her company right up to the enemy leader’s flag. In such close quarters, she quickly found that her spear was worse than useless, so she tossed it at the enemy, hoping for a lucky hit.

She was unsurprised to see it hit a shield, doing no damage. Drawing her sword, she yelled a battle cry and prodded her horse, pushing forward. She was catching glimpses of her target, but the other queen might as well have been a million miles away, the troops in front fighting viciously to keep their positions.

Lainey drew up next to her. “My Queen, this is foolhardy! We’re not getting any closer!”

“It doesn’t matter!” shouted Suzy. “We can’t quit now that we’re this close!”

As soon as the words had left her lips, a huge fireball streaked in from short range, exploding right underneath Lainey’s horse, destroying her and her mount instantly.

Suzy’s horse foundered too, struck by shrapnel. She tumbled out of the saddle, dropping her sword as she landed hard on her right shoulder.

“Get up!” yelled the fake Shiori. “You’re a sitting duck down there!”

Dazed, Suzy dragged herself to her feet, looking around for her sword. She spotted it just in time for another explosion to detonate, forcing her back to the ground.

Groping around, she somehow found the hilt. Snatching it, she got up, ears ringing, ready to make another attempt.

“Drop it,” came a high, melodious voice.

Suzy looked up, only to discover that she was surrounded. The red lady who sat astride a hellhound had her spear pointed at Suzy’s throat, her eyes spitting purple.

A multitude of enemy soldiers had their weapons at the ready, holding back reinforcements from reaching her. Suzy assumed that the last hit had taken out her bodyguards, as they were nowhere to be seen. Assessing the situation as hopeless, she cast her sword aside.

“Very good,” purred her enemy. “My mistress originally thought that you might be special, but it appears that she was wrong. You’ve fallen like all the rest. I’ll enjoy breaking you in.”

Suzy tuned out her boasting, realizing her mistake. These troops, this battlefield, this was all made up, constructed out of whole cloth from what she knew of battles from movies.

Her troops were only demoralized because she was demoralized. Many battles were won and lost in the mind. In this case, it was literally her mind - her strategy, her attack, her battlefield.

She had locked herself into thinking that she had to play by the rules. Why was she letting the enemy win? Why were there any rules at all?

What would happen if… no, would that really work? If so, it would be a horrible deus ex machina, but she had to try it. There was nothing else.

She dropped to the ground, trying to make herself as small as possible. A tremendous line of explosions rocked the battlefield, close to her position. She could hear pieces of rocks bouncing off her armor, the concussion causing her ears to ring.

Shortly afterwards, the sound of a moaning cow echoed throughout the battlefield, followed by the distinctive noise of a jet engine. Suzy smiled grimly - it had worked, and even better than she had expected!

Groaning, she shifted over onto one elbow, levering herself onto her butt. A wide swatch of the battlefield had been destroyed, cut in a neat line as if harvested by the reaper’s scythe. The red lady who had been accosting her had vanished, and her reinforcements were doing their best to push into the resulting gap. They didn’t have time to fix their formation, however, the staccato drumbeat of helicopter blades signaling more reinforcements.

Gunships dropped into view, firing rockets into the enemy horde, side gunners mowing them down with thousands of rounds from their miniguns. The overwhelming attacks broke them up, making them easier to divide and conquer.

Within minutes, Suzy’s forces were penetrating the lines with ease, taking apart troops that could no longer support each other due to the massive gaps opened up by heavy ordinance.

A faint clapping noise penetrated the ringing in her ears. “Oh, bravo, bravo! That was excellent! Such an exquisite imagination!”

Suzy made an effort to get up, turning to see the enemy queen standing there, amused. Her pleasant, upturned lips and high cheekbones gave her an oddly friendly air in the bleak, war torn dreamscape.

She wore no armor, pale light gleaming through transparent purple latex. The outfit hid practically nothing, a strict underbust corset emphasizing her assets. She balanced on a pair of high heeled boots that were wholly unsuitable for warfare. Someone who would wear such clothing to a battlefield was not one to be trifled with.

“I wasn’t sure about you, but you’ve proved yourself. You do have the ability to command when you’re pushed far enough.” She touched her lips with a shiny purple finger. “I have a good nose for these things, but my assistants didn’t believe me. Pity them, but fortunately for you, they’re not the ones who make these decisions.”

She clapped once, and the battlefield vanished, the blasted rocky terrain and clashing troops fading away to be replaced with an executive office. The queen sat behind a large oak desk, paperwork stacked in front of her.

“Emma Drydon, CEO,” stated a walnut desk wedge. The incongruous corporate atmosphere juxtaposed with her fetish clothing was preposterous. Suzy suppressed a giggle as the queen flashed a look at her that meant serious business.

“You’ve seen our roles, even experienced them, but you don’t fit cleanly into any particular category. You wore the yellow, but it didn’t define you. You didn’t give in when I attacked, even though the situation appeared hopeless, meaning that you have more initiative and spunk than the usual office drone.”

She leaned over the desk. “You have a choice about what happens next - you’ve met the requirements to become anything you like. This isn’t another test, there’s no going back. Dreams here have power over reality. Hive was built on the dreams of its workers, after all.”

The queen switched to a didactic tone. “Black is for soldiers, protectors of all. Yellow is for workers, who have answered our call. Orange are trainers, enforcing our borders. Red is for overseers, drones within order. Purple are royals, the most powerful you’ll meet, when you bow to their thrall then obedience is complete.”

She stared unnervingly at Suzy. “Which one will you choose?”