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.

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

who w-w-w-will save

she’s

substance flowing through the underground pipelines and into the gate matrix. As predicted, the matrix blew almost instantly, rocking

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

the unstable mass of power she could reach out and touch it. Within her heart,

“L-l-leader! Be c-c-careful!”

“BAH! CALL ME BRILLI-”

entire room in a second. Brilliant never got

blast cages, the ants ducked for cover as stone and debris rained down from above. The chamber had been built to withstand magic detonations, but that last one had been beyond even what Brilliant was normally capable

five minutes before the room stopped shaking and Experimant felt confident enough to

a quick headcount? Sound

Brilliant said, emerging

you are…” Experimant said

want to know how I

“Not really-”

a front leg. “And that was

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

of the cages. We’ve

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

that’s fine, I got a good look at what they were detecting

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

Come on!

with 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 the rest of the staff began to

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

In short order, she’d either repaired or fatally

at this! LOOK AT IT! The kick of power we got by infusing the liquid mana