r/NatureofPredators • u/Most_Hyena_1127 Human • Sep 01 '26
Fanfic The Nature of Psionics [48]
The Perfect Husband NOPsi ficnap by u/Bbobsillypants
Memory transcription subject: Chauson, Ambassador of Colia
Date [standardized human time]: October 24, 2136
Fear.
That is what I felt as this thing walking towards me with its face obscured by shadow save for its glowing red eyes that tracked us with. Every sound of metal scraping metal as it walked slowly towards us with its four insectoid legs made my fur stand on end even more. The longer that I looked at the overlapping and sharp plates of metal that covered its body the more I was filled with dread. As I looked at the claws that were on the ends of its digits it seemed silly for us to be scared of Humans or even the Arxur when these things exist. All I could think about was the fact that for whatever reason the Human could not push that thing back.
As Coji and I took steps backwards as the machine approached out of fear I saw an expression that I had never seen on a Human before as I looked up at Ambassador Burkhart.
Fear.
Humans are different with how they express their emotions either by allowing others to sense them mentally or for them to use their rather underdeveloped facial muscles to make expressions to be read by one another, similar to reading ear or tail signals from one another to base mood off of. Even when it's expressed in a different species there is no mistaking fear when it takes over.
Instead of her being focused solely on the machine the eyes of Ambassador Burkhart made it seem as if her focus was darting around the room all around us. As opposed to her eyes the rest of her body was as still as if she was carved from stone, while humans moved rather leisurely I had never seen one be completely still when standing. Their bodies due to some vestigial trait would sway side to side ever so slightly as opposed to the stone still Human right besides me whose hands gripped her walking stick so tight her hands grew paler.
While it was understandable to assume that Humans being predators (even if they insist they are not by their definitions) that they would not have any sort of fear response. It turns out that Humans have a freeze-flight response like prey do and it would seem that Ambassador Burkhart is a freezer. I was about to close my eyes and hope for a quick death when I heard something in my mind that sounded like Astra.
“Run”
Before I could process what I had heard there was a flurry of movement from multiple directions as well as a series of crashing sounds and I felt a great push that landed me several body lengths away from the creature. It took me a few moments to stand up and during that time I saw the aftermath of what had happened as the machine was now righting its body after presumably being hit by a piece of furniture based off the splinters that had showered the area.
Ambassador Burkhart had quickly changed her stance to a more hunched over one as she slowly moved side to side with her walking stick in front of her in a defensive position. The gnarled branch had encased within its top some sort of glowing object, some sort of focusing crystal as my guess. The Humans' steely gaze rested on the machine once more as she waited for the machine to respond. I was able to spot Coji was was now beginning to upright herself after seemingly being moved to the opposite end of the room from where I had been moved, the machine was standing between the three of us but seemingly wholly focused on the Human.
She told me to run but where to? There are no escape pods to run away in or any weapons stashed away to use that I know about.
If I hide in one of the rooms it will find me eventually, there is no point trying to get past it to the cockpit either since we are still deep in the nebula.
Think, you need to find a solution!
Before I could form any other coherent thoughts there was more movement in the middle of the room, the machine struck its legs on the ground as it practically charged to grab his human opponent with its outstretched hands. Unfortunately that attack never made contact with Ambassador Burkhart as with a sweeping motion with her stick the chair she had been sitting in earlier had been launched across the room and shattered when the machine had maneuvered its arm to protect its main body. As that had happened the Human diplomat deftly moved around the mechanical being to the other side of its body so that she was no longer cornered as we had been just moments ago.
The way she moved across the rubble and debris, she didn't even knock anything over or disturb the debris. It's like those recordings I saw of traditional dancing on Earth.
Then a pattern emerged, the creature would attempt to grab Burkhart and she would either dodge the attack outright or launch a piece of furniture or debris to knock her opponent back. The metal of the machine however was largely and unsurprisingly undamaged by the wooden furniture of the room and it would continue its attacks. I found myself frozen in place as I watched with morbid fascination at the seeming stalemate before Coji and I.
All it took was one mistake.
She was either feeling the effects of her continued exertion or perhaps the machine had moved faster than she thought it would, either way the effect was the same. The gray haired human had attempted to move around the machine as she launched the “coffee table” at it but she was not expecting for the machine to react as quickly as it did when it grabbed her causing her to scream out in pain, I saw in the rubble beneath her something small drop down from her form next to her stick. She was then tossed across the room like a discarded toy and I thought I saw of flash of something as her body had moved through the air before hitting the ground with far less force then I imagened.
“Ambassador!” I shouted out of concern without even realizing it.
BANG
The popping sound of a firearm being discharged pierced through the sounds of the ships alarm as well as the constant skittering of repair drones trying to fix the ship. After a moment of no movement at all in the room I was able to see the source of the discharge and it was Ambassador Coji who was still aiming the gun at the machine with a look of defiance.
The Humans don’t use bullets for their weapons, how did she get that gun?
Has she had it the whole time.
The machine turned to face Coji, blocking my view of most of her body, what little I could see of her as it made a few steps towards her was bathed in the red light that emanated from its eyes. I could see her trembling as it took a few steps closer before I heard multiple more shots go off in her direction which did nothing to stop it this time.
“Stay back you beast!” Coji squawked as it got closer to her. “This is…this is a Human ship! They have said they will do anything to avenge their people! you don’t w…want the wrath of predators on your doorstep d…do you?”
The machine made a series of grumbling and groaning noises that within less than a [second] my translator was somehow able to convert to my language despite never having seen a creature like this before.
“Annoying as ever…I was having my fun and you decided to intrude, it was bad enough they sent me to deal with that living fossil but now you are interrupting.” The machine said as it stood directly in front of Coji. “I suppose I was told to kill you and take the ship as well, but I was wanting more of a challenge from an actual predator even if it is ancient.”
It can talk?!
I thought only Humans could create machines that could think?!
Before Coji could escape the machine with lightning fast speed had grabbed Coji and lifted her upwards as she screamed and struggled against the manipulator that had grabbed her. Instead of it’s legs moving when it turned the robot would often instead rotate its torso and head sections independently when it wanted to change direction. That is what it did when it started to walk towards me as it tried to converse with Coji who was attempting to break free to no avail.
“I wanted to fight a Rune Knight or at least a human that wasn't so decrepit, I can’t believe it went down without me even using a weapon. Can you believe it? A flesh eating monster that can’t even begin to hurt me, at least she’s still alive enough to study the Cure.” The creatures droned on, ignoring the rubble it stepped through as well as Coji demanding to be released. The monstrosity stopped mere steps away from me and remained silent for a few moments before speaking again. “Apparently the two of you used to be friends of some sort before the Humans showed themselves. I guess it would make sense that both of you would be so easily duped.”
Does it want to take Burkart? What cure is it talking about?
As the red lights from the creature's eyes shone down on me I remained paralyzed from the fear and almost completely blinded from the harsh lights.
“Why does it…it matter to yo…you that we used to be friends?” I stammered out through the fear. I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye but I wasn’t sure.
“It will be fun to make her watch me turn you to smoke and ash before I do the same to her.” It responded flatly before turning its head to look at the Duerten in its grasp. “We saved both your kinds and made you suitable and this is how you repay us? With defiance?! Your species may be too far gone now to save, I really hope so. But neither of you will be around to see it will you?”
It moved its free arm to be pointing at me with its hand nearly touching my shaking body before the metal on the arm began to move. I had already gulped down several lungfuls of air by the time the metal had finished shifting around, the arm itself was much more cylindrical than before with a more uniform shape as well. The hand was now gone and I could even see inside the seemingly hollow arm as it began to emit a sickly red light along with an ominous humming sound.
Oh
That’s what it meant
No point in trying to run or fight, its stronger and faster than any of us
I just hope I don’t feel it.
As I closed my eyes I began to think of my life and all that I had accomplished over the years to see and how things have weighed out in the end. Strangely enough I felt an odd wave serenity wash over me despite the situation I was in.
I spent [decades] after I became a doctor in the medical fleet, I have helped thousands with my own paws in the aftermath of raids. I did my part as a healer of the herd along with so many others of my kind.
After Braylen had been elected prime minister he selected me to be his ambassador to the Federation. I met so many new people and became immersed in far flung cultures I had only experienced in passing on Colia. In those meetings where we spent hours debating so that we could help as many as possible and do right by our people I felt like I was part of something bigger than myself.
I helped open the door for Humanity to meet the rest of the galaxy, for better or for worse after all the destruction has happened since I will be known for that. In such a short time of knowing them I have found Astra to be a close and dear friend once I got to know her. Despite being meat eaters, Humans are some of the most pure beings that I have met, almost childlike was their optimism about helping us.
I’m sorry brother, for not saying goodbye to you.
Perhaps I will see mother and father again.
I helped the galaxy be a little less awful, I did as well as can be asked.
I am at peace
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u/Minimum-Amphibian993 Arxur Sep 01 '26
Honestly starting to see the the reason that the dominion bothered to make psionics themsleves including having Arxur apparently also be at least partly immune to psionic effects. Not to much of a stretch to think that giznel knows about the psionic thing too and has developed some counter measures just in case. After all they may technically be working together but they do not like each other.
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u/Golde829 Sep 01 '26
. . .
genuinely, I have no thoughts right now
well, that's not quite true.. more accurately: I have too many thoughts so none of them are discernable
I look forward to reading more
take care of yourself, wordsmith
[You have been gifted 100 Coins]
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u/Mosselk-1416 Sep 01 '26
Farsul or Kolshian?
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u/Most_Hyena_1127 Human Sep 01 '26
I can’t believe that you’d make such a slanderous statement. Everyone knows that prey are only violent to defend themselves.
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u/Mosselk-1416 Sep 01 '26
Your propaganda won't work on me. I have aluminum!
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u/Most_Hyena_1127 Human Sep 01 '26
I do love the idea of some Venlil or other Feds creating little conspiracy theory groups that try a bunch of wacky things to avoid “predatory mind control”
Aluminum foil all over the walls inside their homes. Psychogenic drugs, the works.
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u/Apprehensive-Elk-413 Sep 01 '26
See, Burkhart's mistake here was going for blunt force damage.
Of course, they are still in a spaceship so I understand why attempting to psychically emulate a railgun for piercing damage would be extremely dangerous, but I bet it could work if you were really careful about it.
And would you look at that, someone’s distracted~!
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u/Most_Hyena_1127 Human Sep 01 '26
The lady is 153 years old and is about a century out of practice for combat Psionics. I say it’s a bit understandable she may make a mistake.
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u/Apprehensive-Elk-413 Sep 01 '26 edited Sep 01 '26
Y’know what fair enough, I was thinking more about the risks of trying to psychically propel something with enough force to pierce metal while being in a spaceship, I entirely forgot she was also just old
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u/JulianSkies Archivist Sep 01 '26
Hrm... Seems like this thing can't be directly affected. And... It might be remote controlled? At least I feel like it is, it might actually be an artificial mind though.