The Otiga are an alien race hailing from Okanim, the planet we call Venus. In terms of appearance, they are superficially similar to humans, having the same basic build and average size. Their eyes lack pupils and are a bright (almost glowing) yellow, and their hair is pure white and generally sticks up in stiff spikes. Their skintone is a dark grey, they have only four digits on both their hands and feet, and their ears look somewhat fin-like. An Otiga's body generates a bioelectric field, which boosts their physical strength above the human average and allows them to hover for short periods, and due to living so close to the sun they are adapted to warmer climates and can withstand higher amounts of solar radiation than creatures of Earth can.

A scientifically inclined race, the Otiga utilize their bioelectric fields to power their technology, which is far more advanced than what humans are currently capable of using. Otiga scientists and inventors don't take credit for their individual achievements, for they all believe that each new discovery is a blessing from their god, the Machine Mother, who is enshrined in the center of the grand senate of Okanim.

Millenia ago, the Otiga had an alliance with their closest spacefaring neighbours, the inhabitants of the planet humans would later name "Mars". Historical records of that time are fragmented, but what is known is that something called "The Great Betrayal" happened and the two planets were drawn into war with each other. Eventually, the Otiga won, but at a cost; their numbers had been crippled by the war, and so they had to spend thousands of years repopulating and repairing even as the people of Earth progressed and developed outside of their watchful eye. Eventually, during the early 20th century (by Earth's reckoning), they decided to scout out the blue planet, sending a manned probe... Which due to complications unfortunately crash landed nearby Roswell, New Mexico, killing the pilot instantly. In a panic, the operation was aborted whilst the Otiga tried to figure out what they could do next; the war had led them to be cautious of aliens, and so they didn't want to directly approach Earth until they understood whether they were potential allies or an enemy that needed to be crushed before they grew into too much of a threat. And whilst they discussed and debated what to do, a clandestine human organization salvaged the crashed spacecraft...

Okanim (or Venus) has since been equipped with an elaborate planetary defence system to prevent the humans from getting too close, one that makes their probes send back false data on the atmosphere of the planet which makes it seem like a desolate, hellish world unsuitable for life. To keep up this masquerade, any probes that get too close are destroyed by the defence system, with the intention being that this will make the humans think that the "inhospitable climate" was the cause of the destruction. Meanwhile, they still secretly keep tabs on Earth, as the senate continues to debate whether or not they are trustworthy...