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.

Experimant replied as she snatched up the

who w-w-w-will

think she’s

matrix. As predicted,

SEE EVERYTHING!” Brilliant roared. “I CAN SEE

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

“L-l-leader! Be c-c-careful!”

“BAH! CALL ME BRILLI-”

expanded rapidly, enveloping the entire room in a

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

said, emerging from

are…” Experimant said

to know how

“Not really-”

the carapace with a front leg. “And that was the best experiment we’ve run so far! The results were

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

of you out of the

Experimant grumbled as she helped the rest of the lab-ants emerge

But that’s fine, I got a good look

your brain to study it, then?” Experimant said, then realised she said it out loud,

necessary. My brain, that is. Come on! We are on the verge of a breakthrough after this

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

the air with her two front legs as an array embedded into a reinforced stone pillar flickered to life.

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 over

liquid mana