Chrysalis

“MORE POWER, DAMMIT!”

“We don’t have any more! We don’t have the power!”

“It’s so close. So close! Empty the tanks, we need every drop!”

“But… but that’s madness!”

“It’s not madness… it’s BRILLIANT!”

Electricity crackled, lightning flashed and sparks fell like rain from overhead as the ants scurried to follow the orders of their leader. Atop her observation spire, Brilliant cackled, her mandibles snapping together in a staccato rhythm as the flashes and explosions lit her from below, projecting her demented shadow onto the wall.

“Th-th-the b-backup m-m-matrix is collapsing!” Assistant whimpered.

“It’s fine, we have three backups!”

“This IS the third backup!” Experimant roared.

“Not to worry, I installed a secret fourth backup matrix and didn’t tell you!”

“That’s just a lie, isn’t it?!”

Another explosion rocked the chamber and Brilliant teetered on the edge of her spire, a hair's breadth from losing her grip and falling into the swirling maelstrom of light below. The many-faceted eyes of the mage were filled with an unearthly glow, and for a long moment, Experimant was convinced she’d finally lost her mind.

“Dump the tanks and then hit the cages!” she shouted and hundreds of lab ants rushed to follow her orders.

“Th-th-th-th-th-this will overflow the matrix for sure!” Assistant said.

as she snatched up the smaller ant, threw her on her back and rushed to the

w-w-w-will

think she’s beyond

the gate matrix. As predicted, the matrix blew almost instantly, rocking the chamber once more and sending deadly blasts of unstable mana arcing through the

roared. “I CAN SEE

power she could reach out and touch it. Within her heart, Experimant said a quick farewell to

“L-l-leader! Be c-c-careful!”

“BAH! CALL ME BRILLI-”

then expanded rapidly, enveloping the entire room in a second. Brilliant never

the ants ducked for cover as stone and debris rained down from above. The chamber had been built to

minutes before the room stopped shaking and Experimant felt confident enough to

we get a quick headcount? Sound

Brilliant said, emerging from the

are…” Experimant

you want to know how I

“Not really-”

Brilliant!” she boasted, slapping herself on the carapace with a front leg. “And that was the best

“Y-y-you're alive?” Assistant mumbled.

on, all of you out of the cages. We’ve

all of our sensor arrays melted?” Experimant grumbled as she helped the rest of the lab-ants emerge

the main ones. But that’s fine, I got a good look at

realised she said it out loud, went to apologise, then shrugged and

is. Come on! We are

began rummaging about, shouting and exclaiming all the while. Assistant hesitantly made her way from the perimeter

on… YES!” Brilliant punched the air with her two front legs as an array embedded into a

that refused to work, she savaged it with a bite before running to the next. In short order, she’d

the liquid mana