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.

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

who w-w-w-will

she’s beyond

volatile substance flowing through the underground pipelines and into the gate matrix. As predicted, the matrix blew almost instantly, rocking the

Brilliant roared.

her spire, so close to the unstable mass of power she could reach out and touch it. Within her heart, Experimant said a quick farewell

“L-l-leader! Be c-c-careful!”

“BAH! CALL ME BRILLI-”

enveloping the entire room in a second. Brilliant never got

as stone and debris rained down from above. The chamber had been built to withstand

five minutes before the room stopped shaking and Experimant felt confident

we get a quick

Brilliant said, emerging

course you are…” Experimant said

want to know how I

“Not really-”

herself on the carapace with a front leg. “And that was the best experiment we’ve run so far!

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

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

Experimant grumbled as she helped the rest

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

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

is. Come on! We are

mage raced off in the dust and began rummaging about, shouting and exclaiming all the while.

the air with her two front legs as an array embedded into a reinforced stone

refused to work, she savaged it with a 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

the liquid mana was just what we needed. See these readings? Are you seeing this!? Look at