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.

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

who w-w-w-will save

she’s

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

SEE EVERYTHING!” Brilliant roared. “I CAN

the 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 cried out

“L-l-leader! Be c-c-careful!”

“BAH! CALL ME BRILLI-”

enveloping the entire room in a

stone and debris rained down from above. The chamber had been built to withstand magic detonations, but

minutes before the room stopped shaking

a quick headcount?

here,” Brilliant said, emerging from

course you are…” Experimant said

you want to know how

“Not really-”

leg. “And that was the best experiment

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

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

Experimant grumbled as she helped the rest of the

But that’s fine, I got a

brain to study it, then?” Experimant said, then realised she said it out loud, went to apologise, then shrugged

Brilliant remarked off hand, “I can project it if necessary. My brain, that is. Come on! We are on the verge of a breakthrough after this one, I

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 to clean up and

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

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 along with her

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