Dremers, better (and in the film adaptation only) known as K-PAXians, are a spacefaring species originating from the planet K-PAX, featured in the novel series K-PAX and the film adaptation of the same name. The deuteragonist in both stories, "prot", is a dremer.
Terminology[]
In the novel, K-PAXian refers to all the inhabitants of K-PAX, including those species that humans would deem non-sapient. In the novel, the humanoid species that prot belongs to is referred to as dremers. The film makes no distinction and does not mention the term dremer.
Biology[]
Dremers look indistinguishable from humans, but they have important biological differences. Dremers live for hundreds of years. They rarely reproduce, in part due to their long lifespan, but also because reproduction is a very unpleasant process for them, involving dizziness, pain, and foul smells. For this reason, dremers are generally disinterested in romance and intercourse.
Dremers have been around for 4 billion years, significantly longer than humanity.
Culture and society[]
Dremer society is extremely pacifistic, to the point that crime is so rare that no formal laws are needed. However, if a dremer did commit a crime, it would be "reasoned" with, rather than being punished by human standards. Despite their society being utopian and functional, they lack most forms of organization and institutions present on Earth, such as government, courts, and schools. Even families do not exist, resulting in children being raised communally. Dremers are also nomadic, travelling among settlements and taking up different jobs as required. They also have little need for recognition or status, as prot does not recall who the inventor of nuclear fusion was on their planet.
Science and technology[]
Dremers are capable of faster-than-light travel, referred to as light travel, which can be used for travel among planets as well as around one. Light-travel seemingly does not require any piece of equipment on the user, as prot simply manifests or vanishes on a beam of light. However, light travel is also extremely dangerous, as prot refuses to explain how it works, in fear of humans destroying themselves or another species by misusing it.
Modern dremer civilization is powered by a combination of nuclear fusion and solar power, which succeeded the use of bacterial decay, gravitational energy and muscle energy. At one point they also considered adopting nuclear fission, but they did not go through it as it produced too much waste. Another technology they discarded was genetic engineering.
Naming conventions[]
The "K" in K-PAX is actually a designation system, where a civilization's development is scored, from worst (A) to best (K). Earth stands as a class B world, whereas class A worlds used to be B class until its inhabitants destroyed themselves. Dremers fully capitalize the names of worlds, stars and other cosmic bodies, such as that in their convention it is written EARTH, K-PAX or UNIVERSE. By contrast, individuals' names are fully uncapitalized, as in "prot" and "dr. gene brewer", to reflect their insignificance relative to the universe.