Kantoku

(Note: This page details Kantoku as a species. For the organization from which the name is drawn from, see this page))
Kantoku are an artificial species very similar to humanity. They could in fact be considered better than humans in many ways, essentially being genetically "optimized" by their creators. Their ultimate purpose, however, is to function as a servant-species for humanity, performing all labour, science and administration while their lesser human brothers and sisters would live in luxury for their efforts. Although stronger, faster and smarter than an average human, they have a neutered sense of will and personal agency, lack critical or innovative thinking and are possessed by an inherent deference to authority.
The Kantoku project was launched at some point towards the middle of the Human-Vannai War as the "Warden Project". The discovery of the Engineer's primary bioengineering lab in the Philippines in late 2015 had earned the Engineers leadership only the slightest of reprimands from ACC and subsequently did not deter their fascination with human cloning and gene-editing. With the Libra Project beginning some time in 2016, the driving force behind the Engineers, the very top of their leadership, planned to depart Earth with the station, and drew up very long-term plans for humanity in their absence. The Warden Project was a program devised to safeguard humanity by supplementing it with a caste of "role model humans" that could be produced and covertly inserted into the depleted and demoralized human civilization. Although this would have the benefit of bolstering the failing economies and populations of weakened nations following the end of the war, the real benefit in the eyes of the Engineers was the establishment of a population demographic that could be directed to act in a way that the Engineers desired. Combined with economic leverage from the Kantoku Corporation, the Kantoku were ultimately a social weapon the Engineers intended to use to gain global control through both economic and political means.
Kantoku are considered a subspecies under Homo sapiens, and like their simpler H. s. nonludius cousins differ only in slight ways, being intentionally physically indistinguishable from H. s. sapiens. There are, however, some significant biological differences that are not readily apparent to the eye. Although the size and general shape of the brain are unchanged, there are significant differences in the size and connectivity of its structures and regions, especially concerning the frontal and temporal lobes, and the amygdala. These neurological changes were intended to produce a human being with traits that the Engineers' leadership saw as desirable: high task attentiveness, quick learning ability and detail retention. These "Wardens" are nominally more capable of rational thought and analytical decision-making, are intelligent, diligent and empathetic. 
However, these departures from evolution's planned brain architecture also put Kantoku at far greater risk of suffering from seizures or other mental, behavioral and neurological disorders, such as amnesia, synesthesia, hallucinations, mania and insanity. Even "normal" Kantoku often have a limited range of interests and tend toward repetitive behaviors that can set them apart from a true human. Nonetheless, while a Watchman might be likened to a homunculus, the "Wardens" possess all the faculties of a regular human being and are fully capable of blending into human society. They can blend seamlessly into any human society and even start families, being fully capable of reproducing with each other or with humans despite their tank-born origins.
The rest of Kantoku physiology is largely the same as a human. They have been genetically altered to be safeguarded against common genetic diseases and mutations, and be less hostile to cybernetic augmentation. Combined with enhancements to boost their strength, fitness and stamina, they can be loosely considered somewhat "super human". In order for Kantoku to be able to pick others of their kind apart from ordinary humans in the field, they would be modified to produce and be able to detect a unique pheromone that would identify them as creations of the Engineers, described by those capable of detecting it as a faint cabbage-like odor.
Following the Dokuritsu Insurrection, the Japanese released information on the Kantoku and the "Warden Project" to the rest of the world, along with some additional data concerning the unethical nature of the Engineers' activities, such as the Catgirl program. Both the American Coalition and the European Federation, which had been watching the situation in Japan closely, took immediate steps to root out infiltration with the information the Japanese provided, as well as later enlisting the aid of catgirls that had independently revealed themselves and offered their assistance. Taking advantage of the Kantoku's use of scent-tells and the catgirls' ability to detect them, both nations were able to round up Kantoku infiltrators quickly. The American Coalition convicted and imprisoned their infiltrators for life for sedition, while the European Federation's Public Security Forces enacted a great purge that saw thousands of Kantoku be hunted down and executed. Nonetheless, major Kantoku population groups still remain both in Europe and North America.
Category:PACYOA: TECategory:The EngineersCategory:Engineer SpeciesCategory:TE Species