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.

the cages,” Experimant replied as she snatched up the smaller ant, threw her on her back

who w-w-w-will save the

think she’s beyond

predicted, the matrix blew almost instantly, rocking the chamber once more and sending deadly

CAN SEE EVERYTHING!” Brilliant roared. “I CAN SEE IT

spire, so close to the unstable mass of power she could reach out and touch it. Within her

“L-l-leader! Be c-c-careful!”

“BAH! CALL ME BRILLI-”

expanded rapidly, enveloping the entire room in a second. Brilliant never got a chance to complete

stone and debris rained down from above. The chamber had

the room stopped shaking and Experimant felt confident enough to

we get a quick headcount?

said, emerging from

you are…”

to

“Not really-”

with a front leg. “And that was the best experiment

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

of you out of the cages. We’ve

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

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

it, then?” Experimant said, then realised she said it

off hand, “I can project it if necessary. My brain, that is. Come on! We are

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

on, come on, come on… YES!” Brilliant punched the air with her two front legs as an array embedded into a reinforced stone pillar flickered to life. “Someone extract the

order, she’d either repaired or fatally

liquid mana was just what we