Plekid

Plekid is a fictional unit of measurement used in speculative fiction and gaming to quantify the efficiency of information processing or energy exchange in artificial or hybrid systems. It functions as a narrative device to compare devices, networks, or algorithms without relying on real-world specifications.

One plekid denotes a standardized quantum of useful work delivered per unit time under predefined conditions set by the author or game system. The exact definition varies between works, and there is no universal standard.

The term has no canonical origin and is employed flexibly by different creators. Some writers tie plekid to computational throughput, others to energy efficiency, and some to a hybrid metric that blends both. In practice, plekid ratings help establish tech levels, balance powerful artifacts, or indicate a device’s performance in a given environment.

Plekid appears in a range of media, including science fiction novels, tabletop role-playing games, and video games, where it often anchors in-universe economies, research grants, or upgrade trees. Critics note that as a fictional unit, plekid can become opaque if not consistently defined within a work; authors address this by providing in-universe glossaries or standardized conversion rules within a setting.

See also: fictional units of measurement; in-fiction economies; technology scales in fiction.