Wyrdos

The Wyrdos are an enigmatic and completely alien race from outside our solar system, and perhaps even from outside our dimension/reality. Their existence and technology, insofar as these terms can be applied, are unfathomable for humans.

The Wyrdos are practically never seen, and generally do not directly interact with other species. However, when they are encountered, they appear in a physical form resembling a black, elongated human-like figure that is almost completely devoid of features. On the inside, these black figures seem unable to support a living metabolism, giving the impression that they are merely physical puppets being controlled from elsewhere. (For example, they have a mouth-like orifice, but lack any sort of digestive tract.) They have an overly simplified brain-like structure which functions like a transceiver and barebones control system for their puppet bodies.

It is still unknown for sure, but the puppet bodies they designed for themselves are likely tied into their Mars proto-human experiment. It is likely that they want to be able to either permanently move to our universe from elsewhere, or to set up a conduit to easily go back and forth between the two realities. To this end, they set up their experiment to engineer a suitable physical vessel for themselves in our reality, as well as to better understand the physics of our universe.

Ancient Era
The Wyrdos are the race that brought over the proto-humans, as well as a selection of flora and fauna, to Mars from Earth. It is still unclear exactly what their intentions were, but it would seem that they used Mars as a sort of "petri dish" for some kind of experiment of their own design. It is also unclear how extensive their terraforming efforts were, since Mars may have had its own life-supporting environment before they adapted it for Terran species.

During this time they erected the Pylons and engineered the Wyrdo virus. They have a limited form of interaction with the proto-humans, although nothing direct. (Perhaps a priest/priestess communicates with them through established channels such as offerings to have some indirect control over the Zombies.)

Modern Era
Wyrdos exist in the Modern Era, but are not really seen on Mars anymore. Either they abandoned their experiment, or it came to its natural conclusion - this is still unclear. The player will perhaps encounter one or two of them at most, possibly a 'dead' preserved puppet body to bring back to headquarters for research purposes.

It is also unclear, as of now, whether they have anything to do with the Robot Religion. It is possible that they have changed their experiment and are now working on a new kind of hybrid bio-tech vessel body, or perhaps the Robots are being affected by leftover signals all on their own (not at the direction of the Wyrdos).