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.

as she snatched up the smaller ant, threw

who w-w-w-will save the

she’s

liquid mana emptied, sending the volatile substance flowing through the underground pipelines and into the gate matrix. As predicted, the matrix blew almost instantly, rocking the chamber once more and

CAN SEE EVERYTHING!” Brilliant roared. “I CAN

spire, so close to the unstable mass of power she could reach out and touch it. Within her heart, Experimant said a quick farewell to the disturbed genius as Assistant cried out

“L-l-leader! Be c-c-careful!”

“BAH! CALL ME BRILLI-”

in a second. Brilliant never got a

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

get a quick headcount? Sound

Brilliant said, emerging from the

you are…” Experimant

you want to know how I

“Not really-”

a front leg. “And that was the best experiment we’ve run

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

you out of the

Experimant grumbled as she helped the rest of

main ones. But that’s fine, I got a good

said

it if necessary. My brain, that is. Come

the dust and began rummaging about, shouting and exclaiming all the while. Assistant hesitantly made her way from the perimeter as the

the air with her two front legs as an array embedded into a reinforced

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 and started poring

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