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.

carrying you 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

think she’s

pipelines and into the gate matrix. As predicted, the matrix blew almost instantly, rocking the chamber once more and sending

CAN SEE EVERYTHING!” Brilliant roared. “I

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

“L-l-leader! Be c-c-careful!”

“BAH! CALL ME BRILLI-”

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

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

a quick headcount? Sound

Brilliant said, emerging from

course you are…” Experimant

to know how I

“Not really-”

I’m Brilliant!” 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.

you out of the cages. We’ve

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

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

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

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

while. Assistant hesitantly made her way from the perimeter as the rest of the staff began to clean

two front legs as an array embedded

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

AT IT! The kick of power we got by infusing the liquid mana was just what we needed. See these readings? Are you seeing