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.

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

w-w-w-will

she’s

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

Brilliant roared. “I

from 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-”

flashed white, then expanded rapidly, enveloping the entire room in a second. Brilliant

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

room stopped shaking and Experimant felt confident enough

get a quick headcount?

here,” Brilliant said, emerging

course you are…” Experimant

to know

“Not really-”

front leg. “And that was the best

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

of the cages. We’ve

our sensor arrays melted?” Experimant grumbled as she helped the

But that’s fine, I got a good look

said, then realised she said it out loud, went to

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

energy, the little 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

YES!” Brilliant punched the air with her two front legs as

off to another one. When that refused to work, she 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

the liquid mana was