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

who w-w-w-will save the

think she’s beyond

and into the gate matrix. As predicted, the matrix blew almost

CAN SEE EVERYTHING!” Brilliant roared.

mage was hanging upside down from her 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 from

“L-l-leader! Be c-c-careful!”

“BAH! CALL ME BRILLI-”

rapidly, enveloping the entire room in a second. Brilliant never got a chance to complete her

cages, the ants ducked for cover as stone and debris rained down from above. The chamber had been built to withstand magic detonations,

room stopped shaking and Experimant felt confident

get a quick headcount?

said,

course you are…” Experimant said

to know how

“Not really-”

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

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

on, all of you out of

sensor arrays melted?” Experimant grumbled as she helped the rest of the lab-ants

main ones. But that’s fine, I got a good look at what they

then?” Experimant said, then realised she said

is. Come on! We are on the verge of a breakthrough after this

all the while. Assistant hesitantly made her way

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

another one. When that refused to work, she savaged it with a bite before running to the next. In short order, she’d

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