Lima City.
At the frontline base:
On the surface helipad, the engines of the Shadow Strike craft had just been shut down, and ground crew were conducting inspections.
Meanwhile, in a small isolation room within the Bioengineering Center:
"White hair? How come they have white hair? Oh well, I guess black hair and blond hair can both produce white-haired children... Wait, does this mean I have seven kids now?!"
Alexia, dressed in a medical lab coat with her blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, stood between two nursery pods, muttering to herself in a tone that was neither too loud nor too soft, as if reflecting on how "time flies."
At the same time, she operated a nearby control panel, activating the built-in scanners of the nursery pods to conduct a comprehensive check on the two sleeping children.
In the observation room outside the isolation room:
"I can sense their tranquility and comfort," Magnus said, gazing through the observation window at his two younger brothers lying in the nursery pods. A smile crept onto his face. "I can't wait to talk to them about history, discuss knowledge, and share my experiences, like all the strange things I encountered in Steel City. I'm eager to protect them, to ensure they have a childhood full of laughter, just like you did for Horus and me. Father, is this what it feels like to be an older brother? It's such a wonderful feeling."
"Perhaps it is," Samuel Young replied with a smile.
Magnus was the most straightforward of all his sons, rarely hiding his emotions. Of course, these expressions were reserved only for those close to him.
As for his two newly arrived sons, Samuel already knew their identities the moment he saw them—Dorn and Vulkan.
Even in their youth, their resolute faces, combined with the distinctive white hair, clearly identified Dorn, the Primarch of the VII Legion, the Imperial Fists, from Warhammer 40K.
The other child, the Primarch of the XVIII Legion, the Salamanders, known as Vulkan, had healthy, wheat-colored skin, unlike the "charcoal black" complexion and red eyes that would be associated with him in Warhammer 40K.
After all, the environment of Earth-06, no matter how harsh, was still far better than the Salamanders' homeworld, Nocturne.
In Warhammer 40K, these two Primarchs were loyalists, but Samuel, fully accustomed to his role as a father, was not swayed by the original events of loyalty or betrayal. He held no bias against his sons.
He knew that once a bias was formed, no matter how well he disguised or performed, it would inevitably slip out at some point. Therefore, he treated all his sons equally, though his methods of educating each one varied slightly.
At this moment, seeing that Alexia had completed the initial checkup and was about to return to the observation room, Magnus spoke up, "Father, the PPDC is about to hold a discussion meeting. I need to step out for a while."
"Go ahead."
"Yes, Father."
Magnus then nodded to Alexia, who had just returned to the observation room, saying, "Dr. Ashford," before he exited the room and headed down the hallway.
"Such a thoughtful child," Alexia remarked, glancing at the automatic door that had just closed. She then looked back through the observation window and said to Samuel, "The physical data for both children is perfectly normal, but the scan results show that the child with the darker skin tone has a far greater concentration of your unique regenerative cells than all your other children—several times more, in fact. Even more than the fully-grown Sanguinius and Horus, only slightly less than you."
"I see," Samuel replied, unsurprised by the results.
After all, in Warhammer 40K, Vulkan inherited the trait of being the "Immortal Primarch."
"How is the research on the Kaiju progressing?" Samuel changed the subject.
"Kaiju, huh..." Alexia brushed aside the bangs covering her left eye with her left hand and tapped a few keys on the holographic panel with her right, bringing up more detailed data for Samuel to view. She explained, "It's well known that the Kaiju contain Precursor DNA, and the special neural link system the Precursors use to control them seems more like some form of telepathy, with each Precursor responsible for a specific group of Kaiju connected to their DNA.
In terms of weaponization, I personally believe the Kaiju don't have much practical value. We don't need them to pollute the environment, and from my initial calculations, the cost of breeding a single Kaiju would not be much cheaper than building a Hercules. So, it's better to invest that money in constructing more Hercules vessels."
"Indeed," Samuel agreed.
Comparing actual combat performance, the 20 strategic hydrogen bombs launched by Hercules two days ago wiped out nearly 90% of the Precursor cities in North America and countless Kaiju.
However, Samuel didn't ask Alexia to evaluate the Jaegers, as he already knew the answer. Neither he nor Atlas had any plans to mass-produce them at this stage, at most constructing two prototypes for testing and as a contingency.
"So, what do you think we should name these two children? Johnson? Kruger?"
Hearing the question, Samuel returned his gaze to the two nursery pods. "The white-haired one will be Dorn. In German, 'Dorn' means thorn, symbolizing resilience. The other one will be Vulkan."
"Vulkan... Vulkan... That's the Latin name for the god of fire," Alexia replied, seeming quite pleased with the names. She then smiled knowingly and added, "Resilience and fire... I wonder if these two little ones will grow up to embody their names."
Main Universe Date: April 29, 1999.
Syracuse, East Coast of Sicily, Italy.
As one of the oldest cities on the island, Syracuse was rich with ancient buildings, ruins, and many magnificent churches and monasteries. Combined with its charming seaside scenery, the city attracted many tourists each year.
In late April, the average temperature on Sicily had already surpassed 20 degrees Celsius, and it was now midday.
Everywhere in the city and its surroundings, visitors and locals in shorts and t-shirts could be seen enjoying the open beaches, where many people in various swimsuits were sunbathing or playing in the clear blue sea.
Meanwhile, in the outdoor seating area of a seaside restaurant:
Two male customers wearing sunglasses, after ordering their meals from the waiter, started chatting. However, their attention was mostly focused on the entrance of a bar across the street.
One of the men had middle-parted blond hair, and his appearance suggested that he might be an investigator for Atlas—Leon S. Kennedy.
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