A liquid storage and delivery mechanism (2500, 2600, 2700, 2800, 3706, 4706), comprising: shells (2503, 2603, 2703, 2803, 2820) that include corresponding reservoirs (2508, 2608, 2850) to hold individual quantities of liquid, the shells including discharge ends (2612, 2711, 2826), the discharge ends covered with closure lids (2504, 2604, 2832) to seal the corresponding reservoirs (2508, 2608, 2850); a shell management module (2510, 2530, 2704, 2706) comprising a base (2510, 2610, 2710, 2810) with a platform, the platform including shell retention chambers (2530, 2716, 2814, 4814) to receive corresponding shells, the shell retention chambers arranged in a predetermined pattern on the platform, the shell retention chambers to orient the shells along an actuation direction; wherein the shells are to move, along the actuation direction within the shell retention chambers, between non-actuated and actuated positions; and further comprising a flow control plate (2510, 2610, 2870) that includes a flow channel (2522, 2622, 2882) and piercers (2518, 2608, 2618, 2884, 2888) arranged in a pattern that matches the predetermined pattern of the shell retention chambers on the platform, wherein the piercers puncture the corresponding closure lids when the corresponding shells are moved in the actuation direction to the actuated position, thus permitting liquid to flow from the reservoirs into the flow channel; and characterized in that each piercer (2518, 2608, 2618, 2884, 2888) has a volume such that as each piercer (2518, 2608, 2618, 2884, 2888) punctures a respective reservoir (2508, 2608, 2850), the volume of the piercer effectively compresses an internal volume of the reservoir, thereby forcing or displacing a select amount of the liquid out of the reservoir and through the flow channel, wherein the portion of the piercer that enters the reservoir is managed in order that a predetermined and controlled volume of liquid is forced from the reservoir when the shell is in the actuated position. shells (2503, 2603, 2703, 2803, 2820) that include corresponding reservoirs (2508, 2608, 2850) to hold individual quantities of liquid, the shells including discharge ends (2612, 2711, 2826), the discharge ends covered with closure lids (2504, 2604, 2832) to seal the corresponding reservoirs (2508, 2608, 2850); a shell management module (2510, 2530, 2704, 2706) comprising a base (2510, 2610, 2710, 2810) with a platform, the platform including shell retention chambers (2530, 2716, 2814, 4814) to receive corresponding shells, the shell retention chambers arranged in a predetermined pattern on the platform, the shell retention chambers to orient the shells along an actuation direction; wherein the shells are to move, along the actuation direction within the shell retention chambers, between non-actuated and actuated positions; and further comprising a flow control plate (2510, 2610, 2870) that includes a flow channel (2522, 2622, 2882) and piercers (2518, 2608, 2618, 2884, 2888) arranged in a pattern that matches the predetermined pattern of the shell retention chambers on the platform, wherein the piercers puncture the corresponding closure lids when the corresponding shells are moved in the actuation direction to the actuated position, thus permitting liquid to flow from the reservoirs into the flow channel; and characterized in that each piercer (2518, 2608, 2618, 2884, 2888) has a volume such that as each piercer (2518, 2608, 2618, 2884, 2888) punctures a respective reservoir (2508, 2608, 2850), the volume of the piercer effectively compresses an internal volume of the reservoir, thereby forcing or displacing a select amount of the liquid out of the reservoir and through the flow channel, wherein the portion of the piercer that enters the reservoir is managed in order that a predetermined and controlled volume of liquid is forced from the reservoir when the shell is in the actuated position.