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.

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

w-w-w-will save

she’s beyond

through the underground pipelines and into the gate matrix. As predicted, the

EVERYTHING!” Brilliant roared. “I CAN SEE IT

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

“L-l-leader! Be c-c-careful!”

“BAH! CALL ME BRILLI-”

room in a second. Brilliant never got a chance to

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

room stopped shaking and Experimant felt

get a quick headcount? Sound

said, emerging from

are…” Experimant

to know how I

“Not really-”

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

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

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

melted?” Experimant grumbled as she helped the rest of the

But that’s fine, I got a good look

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

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

dust and began rummaging about, shouting and exclaiming all the while. Assistant hesitantly

on… YES!” Brilliant punched the air with her two front legs as an array embedded into a reinforced stone pillar flickered to

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

by infusing the liquid mana was just what we