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.

as she snatched up the smaller ant, threw her on her back and rushed to the blast

who w-w-w-will

think she’s beyond

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

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

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

“L-l-leader! Be c-c-careful!”

“BAH! CALL ME BRILLI-”

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

from above. The chamber had been built to withstand magic detonations, but that last one had been beyond even what

stopped shaking and Experimant

get a quick

Brilliant said, emerging

course you are…” Experimant

you want to

“Not really-”

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

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

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

Experimant grumbled as she helped the rest of the lab-ants emerge from

But that’s fine, I got a good look at what

to study it, then?” Experimant said, then realised she said it out loud, went to apologise, then shrugged and kept doing what she

need,” Brilliant remarked off hand, “I can project it if necessary. My brain, that is. Come

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

with her two front legs as an array embedded into

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

kick of power we got by infusing the liquid mana was just what we needed. See these readings?