Xenon Enigma

Xenon

The Xenon are a fictional Artificial Intelligence race in the X computer game series by Egosoft.

They are the only non-biological race within the X universe, being descendants of the Terraformer fleet sent out from Earth by the Terrans, which are self-replicating AI ships.

They are a plague unto the X universe, and are somewhat of an enigma to the Community of Planets. They have no contact with any other race, though there are rumours of the Split Dynasty having made contact with them in the past. They do not use any known currency, and have no apparent interest in technology or trade with other races. They have no known home planet, despite many attempts to locate one, and the size of the territory they control is unclear. Possible Xenon sectors are marked with a question mark, and a warning given to any who dare try to enter that space.

The Terrans are to blame for the creation of the Xenon. During early exploration of the gate system by Earth vessels, Terraforming ships were sent to the planets discovered to create habitable environments. A software malfunction turned the Terraformers against their creators, destroying most colonies and ships within the known universe. When the Terraformers attacked Earth, a captain named Nathan R. Gunne led the remaining Terraformer vessels through a jump gate into the X universe, which was destroyed after the last ships had left, trapping Nathan R. Gunne and the Terraformers within the gate network with no possible return to Earth.

Over time, the Terraformers evolved and adapted to their situation, however it is unknown if they retain their original function to terraform, or if they're now purely for seek and destroy. Whatever their function today, they still are mostly known for their actions of shooting first and not bothering to ask questions later.