Antikythera

Antikythera (アンティキティラ) is a company, introduced in the First Year Arc of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, which was active in Academy City one year before the main story.

Etymology
The company's name is derived from the, an Ancient Greek hand-powered , described as the oldest example of an analogue computer.

Principles
Antikythera seeks to produce a scientific reproduction of #2 Level 5 Kakine Teitoku's Dark Matter, referred to as Attachment Dark Matter. The company has a biological specimen from Kakine in their possession, however its quality is nowhere near that of the current Kakine. In order to overcome this fundamental roadblock, given that they could not capture the real thing, Antikythera decided to analyze as many esper powers as possible from multiple angles.

Although the two companies are officially unconnected, Montgolfier conducts work for Antikythera, receiving funding and downgraded data in exchange for test results from the prototypes that Montgolfier manufactured from the data Antikythera provided, which Montgolfier obtained from attacks on students at Tokiwadai and instigating an inter-clique conflict. Antikythera concealed its involvement, using Mitarai Ayane's esper power for encrypted communications between the two companies, prepared to abandon Montgolfier if necessary.

At least several of the company's operatives wear the same masks, suits and weapons that various Montgolfier operatives use, Montgolfier having developed the prototypes from Antikythera's data.

Background
At some point in the past, Antikythera acquired a biological specimen from the #2 Level 5, Kakine Teitoku, and sought to scientifically reproduce his Dark Matter, but ran into a fundamental roadblock. Given that the quality of the specimen did not compare to the current Kakine and capturing him was not possible, Antikythera decided to analyze numerous other esper powers from multiple angles to make progress towards their goal. To that end, they secretly provided funding and downgraded data to Montgolfier in exchange for test results from the prototypes they manufactured from that data, concealing their own involvement.

First Year Arc
When Montgolfier's role in instigating the inter-clique conflict at Tokiwadai Middle School was discovered and they fought back, as instructed, when the Hasekura clique came to investigate them, Antikythera gathered observational data over their encrypted communication line while preparing to abandon Montgolfier. They continued gathering data as the Mikagami and Sha cliques joined the battle, sending false intel to the Montgolfier operatives to keep them from surrendering and prolonging the battle to maximize the data gain. Despite belief that it wouldn't be tracked back to them, their ultrasonic communications were detected.