Ckuteko

The **Ckuteko** also known as the **Toak** or **Teko Droids**, are a collection of semi-sentient robots controlled by several supercomputers that inhabit the planet Toak in the Kepler-7 star system. The Ckuteko appear to be the only surviving relic of an extinct, vaguely reptilian species that once inhabited the planet. They seem to operate with a primitive hive-mind, networking together whenever two or more are in range of radio transmission.

Despite having advanced technology compared to other extraterrestrial species (but somewhat more primitive compared to human counterparts), they have been largely confined to their home world and have made no independent effort to colonize their star system. However, they do continue to operate and service dozens of small satellites. Their homeworld is undergoing desertification due to a gradual rise heavy pollution across hundreds of thousands of years, which leads to the slow destruction of natural habitats that recovered from catastrophe nearly 2 million years ago.

## Description

A Ckuteko largely varies in size, thus each Ckuteko droids have different appearances based on their function and region. A standard Ckuteko, however, averages about 0.95 meters tall. The terrestrial units are almost always bipedal and feature two simple mechanical arms for manipulation.

Despite operating at a hive-mind behavior, most are capable of semi-independent thought. On Earth, their behavior is often compared to ant colonies. They demonstrated capablity of solving problems or suggesting solutions to their controller. In one instance, researchers observed a tunnel often taken by the Ckuteko was blocked by a cave-in. An alternate path was then sought out and a new optimal route was chosen (out of several options) after about 2 hours based on travel time and rate of survivability. They are controlled by a network of conflicting supercomputers across the ruined planet. Therefore, every droid appear to have a color coded glow that belonged to a network they are controlled by or derived from.

### Networks

Each physical description of a supercomputer varies, but all of which are based underground. Their position underground has likely helped their survival against the elements and erosion over the rest. There are eight major networks that dominated the planet before first contact: 8, 11, 19, 22, 38, 46, 60, and 74. At the center of these networks are supercomputers that transmits new data to each droid under its influence. Considering that each network hivemind has been compared to an ant colony on Earth, each supercomputers are described to be "pseudo-queens", of their respective hivemind. Based on observations, each global network has a large yet limited range. If a droid wanders outside of their data transmission, they would likely continue to function under old commands until a new one has been given by another supercomputer or destroyed. A number of small satallites has been maintained seemingly to both help transmit data at a further range and to prevent this from happening too often.

Out of the eight known supercomputers across the planet, researchers has traveled to and only directly made physical contact with two: Networks 8 and 22. Researchers had deduced these numbers through limited communication and mathematics. "8" seems to be interested in contact, and has attempted communication through a 'communication box' that emits piercing static that changes in pitch and tone, likely attempts to transmit encoded messages through sound. Researchers makes a rough guess of its response using AI tools through the number of change in tones and pitches it makes. "22" on the other hand, has no communication box, likely removed thousands of years ago and communication proved difficult.

## History

### **Early History**

The Ckuteko were first built from an extinct small gecko-like species almost 2 million years ago. Based on fossile evidence, this species had proliferated across the planet and was native to it. At some point a natural disaster wiped out nearly all multi-cellular life on Toak. Archeological investigation has ruled out most native causes, and there is as of yet no consensus if the cause was an asteroid impact or some kind of high energy event from deep space or from Kepler-7 itself. The latter theory has gained ground in recent years as ice core sample from the planet's poles have suggested that the atmosphere experienced a sudden and dramatic reduction in density around the time the native species was wiped out.

Little is known about the society or culture of the native biological lifeforms of Toak, and it is not even known if the characters and words used in the programming language of the Ckuteko droids are representative of a common written language by the native species. The name of the planet and its machines is only taken from designations within the code of the machines themselves. What is known is that these machines were apparently built originally to serve as industrial manufacturing and mining tools, and the machines have continued to operate purely to maintain themselves for all this time. upper lithosphere of Toak contains a remarkably consistent layer of oxidizing metals, oxidizing refined silicon, and broken down parts, that eventually culminate in a layer of scrap that by all accounts has been recycled and repaired until it was no longer mechanically possible to maintain the components.

### **Pre-Contact**

The Ckuteko are the last surviving legacy of their creators, with the few surviving yet isolated supercomputers maintaining the network of drones, manufactories, mines, and indeed themselves for all this time. Interestingly, attempts by the different supercomputers to maintain themselves and the infrastructure of the planet has conflicted with other supercomputers' networks to gather resources and maintain their own regional infrastructure, leading to the first and only known examples of independent robotic conflict. These conflicts are fairly benign as the machines fumble against eachother and attempt to disable competing droids with their simple manipulators.

There were more than 8 global supercomputers that survived the global catastrophe, and 8 major networks that dominated the planet before first contact. Each major network were translated into Terran numerical system as: Networks 8, 11, 19, 22, 38, 46, 60, and 74.

### **Post-Contact.**

Since the arrival of human science teams, the Ckuteko have made no attempt to harm the organic intelligences that now occupy their planet. Interestingly, conflicts between rival droid networks ceases whenever a human or other alien visitor arrives on the scene, it apparently being a root command that the machines never harm organic life.

There is currently an ongoing debate among the scientific community of what, if anything should be done about Toak. As of yet, it is NASA policy to leave the Ckuteko droids alone and to treat the artificial ecosystem as they would any natural ecosystem. However, there are calls among some to disable the entire Ckuteko network and attempt to restore what little organic life remains on Toak into a larger self sustaining organic ecosystem.