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.

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

who w-w-w-will

she’s

and into the gate matrix. As predicted, the matrix blew almost instantly, rocking the chamber once more and sending

roared. “I CAN SEE IT

unstable mass of power she could reach out and touch it. Within her heart, Experimant said a quick farewell to the disturbed genius as Assistant

“L-l-leader! Be c-c-careful!”

“BAH! CALL ME BRILLI-”

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

from above. The chamber had been built to withstand magic detonations,

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

get a

Brilliant said, emerging from

course you are…” Experimant

you want to know how

“Not really-”

front leg. “And that was the

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

out of the cages. We’ve got to

our sensor arrays melted?” Experimant grumbled as she helped the rest

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

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

can project it if necessary. My brain, that is. Come on! We are on the verge of

mage raced off in the dust and began rummaging about, shouting and exclaiming all the while. Assistant hesitantly made her way from the perimeter as the rest of the staff began

as an array embedded into a reinforced stone pillar flickered to life. “Someone extract the

to the next. In short order, she’d either repaired or fatally damaged all ten of the outer detectors and started poring

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