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.

why I’m carrying you to the cages,” Experimant replied as she snatched up the smaller ant, threw her

who w-w-w-will save

she’s beyond

flowing through 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 unstable mana arcing through

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

of power she could reach out and touch it. Within her heart, Experimant said a quick farewell

“L-l-leader! Be c-c-careful!”

“BAH! CALL ME BRILLI-”

expanded rapidly, enveloping the entire room in a second.

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

stopped shaking and Experimant

a

said,

are…” Experimant

you want to know

“Not really-”

the carapace with a front leg. “And that

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

you out of the

our sensor arrays melted?” Experimant grumbled as she helped

I got

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

“I can project it if necessary. My brain, that is. Come on!

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

on, come on… YES!” Brilliant punched the air with her two front legs as an array embedded into a

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

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