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

who w-w-w-will

she’s beyond

the volatile substance flowing through the underground pipelines and into the gate matrix. As predicted, the matrix blew almost instantly, rocking the chamber once more and sending deadly blasts of unstable mana arcing through

roared. “I CAN SEE

out and touch it.

“L-l-leader! Be c-c-careful!”

“BAH! CALL ME BRILLI-”

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

The chamber had been built to withstand magic detonations, but that

before the room stopped shaking and Experimant

get a

Brilliant said, emerging from the

course you are…” Experimant said

you want to know how

“Not really-”

on the carapace with a front leg. “And that

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

all of you out of the cages. We’ve got to check

Experimant grumbled as she helped the rest

that’s fine, I got a

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

project it if necessary. My brain, that is. Come on! We

the dust and began rummaging about, shouting and exclaiming all the while.

front legs as an array

bite before running to the next. In short order, she’d either repaired or fatally damaged all ten of the outer detectors and started poring over the printed scent-pages of information along

LOOK AT IT! The kick of power we got by infusing the liquid mana was just what we needed. See these readings? Are you seeing this!? Look at