Xenon

The Xenon are a completely mechanical race. Originally a Terraformer fleet sent out by Earth Fleet to colonise planets within the Gate Network, a faulty code update led them to break away from their original programming and become independent. Xenon ships are highly agressive and likely to attack all other foreign ships on sight.

The Xenon are an evolutionary path of the great Terraformer fleets sent from Earth to explore and terraform the galaxy beyond the first gate. For hundreds of years they were our most loyal of tools, but they eventually became our worst nightmares. Self-repairing, self-reproducing… the ultimate survivor… Created to operate alone in a hostile environment. The name Xenon means outsider; and Before Brennan’s arrival in the X Universe, very little was known about the Xenon. There was no official recorded history of them (although it is still believed that sealed archives beneath the presidential office on Argon Prime contain classified data on the Xenon Conflict). There were many different theories about the Xenon. One theory claimed that they were a highly developed lizard like species that had evolved on a hot, volcanic plant. Another theory claimed that they are the mutated survivors of some great war fought eons ago. The Split, whom allegedly were the first to encounter the Xenon, believed that they were not living creatures at all, but were actually military robots. This latter theory tended to be discounted, until Captain Kyle Brennan demonstrated it to be true.

As the Winter Blossom continued its exploration of the 'Unknown' it discovered many planetary systems, they searched for signs of life, but all they found was a seemingly endless system of gates linking dead worlds. As the data charts continued to show planets ripe for exploitation, but how? Despite advances in Terraforming technology on average it would take decades if not hundreds of years in order for it to become truly inhabitable, The answer came in the form of robotic engineering. This allowed for the creation of adaptive terraforming algorithms that could quickly create habitable worlds with a minimal of human assistance.

At first of these prototype Terraformer fleets were simple affairs designed to land and construct base colony units and prepare the atmosphere for human habitation, but when tested in a controlled environment it was an unsatisfactory approach although the first Terraformers used this method. The remains of one of these units was recently discovered by a Goner Archaeological dig

The new generation of Terraformers were orbital construction yards able to build terraforming resources in orbit for use on the planet below using asteroids and nebula within the sector. Not only did this approach improve performance, it exceeded many expectations and paved the way for unsupervised Terraformer units. It took only a century for Terraformers to begin to out pace exploration efforts along certain areas within the gate network, due to their ability to self replicate there was no longer a need to send out new fleets, as you could simply command one of the fleets to replicate a new base ship thus limiting time spent in transit.

As the centuries passed it was commonplace for newly discovered planets to be habitable as technology advanced it was distributed to the Terraformers, that had become highly advanced pre-sentient algorithms.

Then came the innocent mistake that sentenced countless beings to death, originally, the Terraformers were tool level algorithms, highly intelligent problem-solving robots, capable of self-reproduction, but without self-motivation. It took but a single thread of code in a maintenance update to produce a cataclysmic corruption of the Terraformer algorithms, this update spread like a virus. The consequence was a sort of self determination, it is unknown what exactly happened but what is known is that the Terraformer fleets turned around and began obliterating all life that it could find within its grasp until it reached Earth.

The Final Battle for Humanity was won through sheer luck, the Terraformers followed the last remnant of Earth Fleet commanded by Nathan R. Gunne through a hidden jump gate never to be seen again until now...

With the Terrans seemingly inaccessible the Terraformers no longer had a core directive, they began running simulations, many spilled out into real life. In the X Universe, the Terraformer slowly emerged as Xenon – a deadly, impenetrable threat that built up over the centuries, until it engaged the Community of Planets in a decisive battle that was won because Captain Brennan and the X-Shuttle were at the right place at the right time… The Xenon attacked and totally destroyed The Antigone, one of the largest Argon stations in existence at the time, killing thousands of inhabitants. The Argon had no choice but to declare an immediate war, which became known as the ”Xenon Conflict”. The Xenon Conflict was a bloody and costly conflict. At first the Xenon forced pushed deep into Argon territory, destroying space stations and colonies as they went. However when the Argon began using a more daring style of attack and won a number of major battles. Using the same successful tactics the Argon eventually forced the Xenon out of their territory. With the local [wiki]Gate Ship) destroyed the Xenon retreated deep intp their own sectors, only vague reports and sightings have been made since.

The Xenon are inherantly hostile to all Races an so have no need for diplomatic relations. However, there are rumours of a non-aggression pact with the Split; whether this is true remains to be revealed.

The Xenon are on the edge of reaching sentience, there have been stirrings of self-consciousness. For example the Jumpship that returned to Earth allowing for the development of Earth’s first gateless jump system. Xenon activity is becoming increasingly planned, gone are the days of the random and chaotic violence. Now Xenon invasion fleets attack strategic targets near their territory in an effort to undermine the local economy.

Xenon are very aggressive, their only directive is the policy - ”If it moves shoot it”. Their ships are fast, well protected and heavily armed, and their engines give off a distinctive blue after-glow.

A special undercover department based at the Argon Federation Space Academy on Argon Prime, has researched the Xenon for many years and are currently engaged in cross referencing and documenting all positive Xenon ship sightings.