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,

who w-w-w-will save the

think she’s

mana emptied, sending the volatile substance flowing through the underground pipelines and into the gate matrix. As predicted, the

Brilliant roared.

mage was hanging upside down from 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 to the disturbed genius as Assistant cried out from

“L-l-leader! Be c-c-careful!”

“BAH! CALL ME BRILLI-”

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

the blast cages, the ants ducked for cover as stone and debris rained down from above. The chamber had been built to

the room stopped shaking and Experimant felt

get a

here,” Brilliant said,

are…” Experimant said

you want to know

“Not really-”

carapace with a front leg. “And that was

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

of the cages. We’ve got to

Experimant grumbled as she helped the rest of

main ones. But that’s fine, I got

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

necessary. My brain, that is. Come on! We

raced off in the dust and began rummaging about, shouting and exclaiming all the while. Assistant hesitantly made her way from the

two front legs as an array embedded into a reinforced stone pillar flickered to life.

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

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