Kukes Co.

Headquartered in California, Kukes! is a multinational technology company specializing in hardware. Their world renowned K-Chip is the pinnacle in computer processing power.

In the year 2000, Kukes! shook the world, by unveiling Nigel the first artificial human. It wasn't until years later, after the great war, that Kukes! was able to begin mass scale production of androids.

Kukes! developed hardware is pervasive in daily life, present in computers, televisions, as well as refrigerators, microwaves, and automobiles.

Founding

In 1982 Keith "Kryptic" Mason and Terrance "AtomicWaste" Ali were a pair of hardware hackers in Queens, New York, who primarily focused on security electronics and telecommunications. They became popular among teens in their borough, for making "Frankenstein" computers from old parts, and gifting them to kids who had the desire to learn, but not the financial means.

In 1985 their work lead them to Evan Orland, an entrepreneur in California looking to invest in computer hardware creations. Mason and Ali, managed to talk Orland into investing in their first personal computer build - AutomatiK PC which featured the tag line "So fast, it's AutomatiK." The computer coupled with a edgy ad campaign became a hit among teenagers and college students. The AutomatiK 2, became the biggest selling personal computer.

The company name Kukes! was meant to be a play on the duo's nickname, Kryptic and (nuclear)AtomicWaste.

Buyout

In 1987, after the AutomatiK 2 was released, discord between the original duo and their business partner lead to heated debate over who owned the future of Kukes! Unbeknownst to Mason and Ali, Evan Orland was working on production contracts for the military, while investing in experimental technological programs using Kukes! money.

I just wanted to diversify the company. They thought I sneaking around behind their back. But we had a new influx of capital, capital that wouldn't have existed without my initial investment. Why wouldn't they trust me to invest that money into more ideas. It was going to make us all a lot of money, but their egos couldn't handle it. They wanted it to be all about the K-Chip that they were working on. They wanted it to be the sole focus.

Evan Orland, Boston Globe January 1992

It was revealed in 1988, British millionaire Leo Preston was going to be buying the majority shares from Mason and Ali and taking over the company. Mason and Alie would only stay on in advisory role for the next two years, after which they retired to Seattle. It's unclear why Mason and Ali sold their part of the company, and both have refused to comment on that time period.

Leo Preson, instead of absorbing Kukes! into his companies, decided that the Kukes! name was more valuable than his own, and decided that Kukes! would be the banner under which his other investments would stand under.

K-Chip

After the success of the AutomatiK 2, Mason and Ali focused on creating a fast micro-processing chip that could be outsourced to other companies. Instead of only building their own computer, Mason and Ali thought the future would be better if their chips were in everyone else's tech.

After the buyout the Kukes K-Chip 1087 was released In 1989, and found its way into high end machines marketing themselves as being on the cutting edge of technology. The marketing campaign utilized teen heartthrob celebrities, and hip hop acts like MC Hunter & DJ Champ who wrote the song "Everything AutomatiK".

"Me and my boys we runnin on electric beams
Everything is hummin and everything screams
The future is digital don't get left behind
K-Chip keepin my ass in line. "

"Everything AutomatiK" lyrics by MC Hunter

Birth of Nigel

After Mason and Ali left the company, Leo Preston insured that the Kukes! brand became synonymous with bleeding edge technology. In the year 2000, he revealed the next evolution is artifical technology - Nigel, an Android that managed to fool most of the press conference attendants into believing he was a legitimate human news reporter.

Androids had been available before, designed for simple tasks like manufacturing or house cleaning. Nigel was the first that seemed to have a perspective and personality. It was also the first to appear completely human, using cutting edge human cell fabrication process.

Nigel's appearance lead to a firestorm of debate around whether such an invention should even be legal, postponing and mass production. Further delays came with the onset of a third World War.

Road Reclamation Program

In 2011, after the war was over, Kukes took their Artificial Intelligence programs and applied them to automobiles. Their plan was to create self-driving cars. The government gave Kukes a large contract to begin redesigning roads so that automated vehicles could more easily navigate them. The Road Reclamation Program, lead to a overhaul of the United States road system, and the proliferation of automated cars.

By 2036, 42% of cars in the United States were automated, running on the K-Drive software.

Rebranding

Kukes! initial branding was based on urban street culture. As the company became more popular, more conservative critics labeled this image as violent and anti-social. After Mason and Ali left the company, Leo Preston began to slowly ease off the edgy youth marketing, and bring the brand to Main Street. For the rest of the 90's Kukes tried marketing to both demographics, featuring wholesome middle America ads for their new brand of business computers and K-Chip processors. In contrast every new iteration of the AutomatiK PC featured throw back advertising in an attempt to maintain its hip image among young adults.

Kukes eventually went away from the gritty advertising altogether, in an effort to feel more peaceful, after the violent uncertainty of the third World War.

Kukes hit gold with a new ad campaign in 2012 featuring a waif-like Japanese woman who shouts "Kukes!" everytime something goes their way, such as their coffee being ready for them when they wake up or when a drone delivers their online order on time.

"Could you imagine what Kryptic and AtomicWaste are thinking when they hear these ads? I mean what even is this company? I used to be a K-Kid back in the day. We thought we were the coolest mother fuckers in town. But this shit right here is embarrassing. For real. 'Kukes!?' Fuck that."

Niko Dominguez, former child actor of 90's Sitcom "Run of the House" ; Interview from Hubba Magazine, July 2014