Architects

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The Architects, also known colloquially as the Precursor Race or simply Precursors, are an ancient, highly advanced race of cybernetic lifeforms that arrived on Planet 4546B approximately one thousand years prior to the events of Subnautica. Afflicted by the deadly Kharaa Bacterium and in danger of extinction, the Architects established research facilities on 4546B in the hopes of discovering a cure. In spite of discovering a potential cure and securing a means of producing it, the Architects' efforts would be cut short by the untimely destruction of their Disease Research Facility. By the events of Subnautica: Below Zero, only one Architect is known to still be alive, with the rest presumed dead or in stasis.

History

Prior to their discovery of Kharaa, the Architects were known to have visited a great many planets, including Earth. Throughout their travels, the Architects would scavenge technology and other oddities, including relics belonging to species far older than them. A number of these relics would eventually be put on display in the Primary Containment Facility for unknown reasons, and others in the Quarantine Enforcement Platform for defense and "doomsday" scenarios. Some relics, such as the Alien Carving, suggest that the Architects' visits to Earth may have influenced aspects of human culture.

The Architects' propensity for exploration and territorial expansion would eventually lead them to discovering Kharaa, an alien bacterium capable of quickly infecting and killing most lifeforms that come in contact with it. Due to the interconnected nature of the Architects, Kharaa was able to rapidly spread through and eliminate billions of lifeforms, many of which were Architects. Desperate for a cure, the Architects established research outposts across the galaxy, including one on Planet 4546B.

The Crater (Events of Subnautica)

As part of their research efforts, the Architects constructed numerous facilities throughout The Crater, including the Disease Research Facility, Quarantine Enforcement Platform, and an Alien Thermal Plant to power them all. A number of smaller structures were also built, with their purposes ranging from quick transportation to consciousness storage. The Disease Research Facility was initially the primary base of operations for the Architects, and was where they conducted their research on the Kharaa and its effects on the planet's native lifeforms. The Facility also doubled as a workshop where Warpers—bio-mechanical lifeforms meant to contain the spread of Kharaa—were assembled. In addition to the Warpers, the Quarantine Enforcement Platform was another means of containment, albeit on a much greater scale. Armed with a massive laser weapon, the Platform was designed to maintain quarantine by destroying any spaceships attempting to enter or leave 4546B until quarantine was lifted. While a number of Architect technologies were powered by manufactured Ion Cubes, the Architects also made use of 4546B's natural geothermal energy by constructing the Alien Thermal Plant within the Lava Castle.

As their research continued, the Architects soon discovered that the Sea Emperor Leviathans produced a unique enzyme—later dubbed Enzyme 42—that rendered them naturally immune to the effects of Kharaa. In order to further study the leviathans and their enzymes, the Primary Containment Facility was constructed in the deepest parts of 4546B. A lone Sea Emperor and its unhatched eggs were captured and imprisoned by the Architects, but it was soon discovered that the subject they had captured was too old to produce stable enzymes, rendering them useless as a cure. The Architects' attention then turned to the unhatched eggs, deducing that were they to hatch, the young Sea Emperors would be capable of producing stable enzymes. Either incapable or unwilling to hear the Sea Emperor's pleas that the eggs must not be forcibly hatched, the Architects made several unsuccessful attempts to hatch the eggs prematurely, resulting in the death of at least one baby.

Eventually, the Architects took notice of the similarities between Sea Emperors and Sea Dragon Leviathans, and it was decided that a Sea Dragon egg would be taken in for study at the Disease Research Facility. Desperate, the Architects hoped that the key to properly hatching Sea Emperors would be found by studying the Sea Dragon egg. However, the Architects underestimated the Sea Dragons' protective nature, and one soon came looking for its stolen egg. Unable to withstand the Sea Dragon's repeated ramming, the cables holding up the facility gave way and caused it to collapse to the seafloor. All seven Architects stationed at the facility perished, and the Sea Dragon itself eventually succumbed to its self-inflicted injuries nearby.

As a result of the facility's destruction, the previously-contained Kharaa was released upon the ecosystem, triggering an emergency quarantine and forcing the remaining Architects into uploading their consciousnesses onto cache data hubs. With the quarantine in place, all teleportation arches were shut off, and the Quarantine Enforcement Platform was activated. In the end, Kharaa ravaged 4546B, causing a mass extinction event that wiped out innumerable species, including the remaining free-roaming population of Sea Emperors. With the Quarantine Enforcement Platform active and constantly powered, for the next millennium any ship that came within range of 4546B would be shot down.

Sector Zero (Events of Subnautica: Below Zero)

While the most important facilities were constructed in The Crater, a number of auxiliary installations were set up in the planet's arctic regions, later named "Sector Zero" by Alterra. These installations include the consciousness-preserving Sanctuary Zero, a Fabricator Base for constructing new Architect vessels, and an Architect Phase Gate Facility for returning to the Architects' homeworld. Additional caches were built for body part storage, Ion Crystal manufacturing, and meditative reflection.

Years after the events of Subnautica, rogue Xenoworx employee Robin Ayou responds to a distress call coming from Sanctuary Zero and discovers Al-An, the only known Architect to be conscious, albeit still without a corporeal form. After inadvertently downloading Al-An into her brain and subsequently constructing a new vessel for the lone Architect, the two power on the Phase Gate Facility and travel to the homeworld, unsure of the Architects' survival as a species.

Biology (WIP)

No Precursor has ever been seen, so nothing is known of their physical appearance. It is likely that they were larger than humans based on the size of their bases and the objects within them, a prime example being the height of the surgical tables found in the Disease Research Facility which come up to just below Ryley Robinson's neck. For use as a surgical table, they would most likely be around the same height as the surgeon's waist, by this it can be estimated that the Precursor race would have averaged between seven and eight feet in height.

The similarity in ergonomics of the alien rifle to contemporary firearms suggests either that Precursors had human-like upper body structure, or that they employed such creatures in their facilities.

They are known to have had an extremely long lifespan, as evidenced in a data bank entry by the mention of a ninety-six year old Precursor being considered very young. The same individual was near 700 Earth-years old (born 1,708 Earth-years ago) when its body became infected after the Kharaa outbreak and the consciousness was stored in a data hub. It is unknown if this lifespan is naturally long, or augmented like Paul Torgal's, who had expected to live to the age of 160 before crashing on 4546B.

Description (WIP)

Although the Precursors are not seen in-game, they were an extremely advanced people - able to create advanced technology (such as teleportation devices, weapons capable of bringing down large ships, wirelessly powered biomechanical life forms capable of teleporting at will, etc.) and capturing a Sea Emperor Leviathan, the largest known living species on the planet. They are also capable of creating Data Hubs, which they can upload their mind to, the digital equivalent of a medically-induced coma. There is only evidence of a single Precursor doing this, who were uploaded to the Dunes Sanctuary, with their body disposed of shortly afterwards.

The Precursors were able to create and use Warpers as guards for their bases and use them to hunt down creatures infected with the Kharaa Bacterium, and create technologies far more advanced than humanity's current technological state, and at the same time, predating humans by thousands of years.

The Precursors are also able to create "keys", known as Alien Tablets, which unlock various Precursor machines, including forcefields and Alien Arches, which function as teleporters. The Artifacts also possibly served as a personal computer and security clearance of sorts to its user according to the entry for the Blue Tablet. Also, they can create alloys that are highly heat-resistant and can last over one thousand years with no sign of degradation. Ion Cubes are another creation, having been produced from an unknown element not found on the Periodic Table, and fabricated inside the Primary Containment Facility's Antechamber. Most, if not all Precursor technology is seemingly powered by Ion Cubes. Interestingly enough, Ion Cubes appear to be used ceremonially, as the three Sanctuary Caches have multiple Ion Cubes adorning them. The Precursors also created the Alien Robots that repair and, if need be, defend the Alien Bases from intruders.

Trivia (WIP)

• Various Data Downloads suggest that the Precursors may be capable of some form of telepathy.
• The ancient Mongolian blade found in the antechamber of the Primary Containment Facility suggests that the Precursors visited Earth in the past. The Alien Carving also supports this theory, as the yin and yang symbol was a major part of ancient Chinese philosophy.
• According to a data download, the Precursors were grown from a “seed.” This may suggest plant-like biology, though it could also refer to a seed in a computer program or an egg. It also suggests that they are raised in broods. Their lifecycle also greatly exceeds a century.
• Precursor literally means "a person or thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner." It is not the actual name for the species and is used in many games.