Thunder Warriors.
In *Warhammer 40k*, Thunder Warriors were genetically engineered soldiers created by the Emperor of Mankind in the 30th millennium to unify Earth (Terra).
They were stronger, tougher, and more ferocious than the Astartes, who required the implantation of a gene-seed. However, their lifespan was drastically shortened, and they often died from sudden organ failure.
At the same time, Thunder Warriors retained their emotions and didn't sever ties with ordinary life, even enjoying telling dark jokes.
However, the fate of the Thunder Warriors in *Warhammer 40k* was quite tragic.
After the Emperor completed the Unification Wars, the Thunder Warriors, for various reasons, rebelled and were ultimately exterminated by the Imperial forces, with only a few survivors managing to escape.
Samuel Young had considered setting up a research project similar to the Thunder Warriors, but after the arrival of his Primarch sons, he directed Alexia to focus on gene-seed research.
After all, the mass-produced super-soldiers Samuel envisioned leaned more towards the Astartes model, though they needed to be stronger and more loyal.
During the Horus Heresy in *Warhammer 40k*, half of the Astartes chose to follow the traitor Primarchs, betraying the Emperor of Mankind.
Knowing this, Samuel was determined not to repeat the Emperor's mistakes and allow misunderstandings or rifts between him and his Primarch sons.
Moreover, being a meticulous and serious person, Samuel treated each of his sons with sincerity.
As for the ten clones being examined by technicians in the simulated town, in a certain sense, they were also his unique "descendants."
The gene-seed contained genetic information, which was the key to the clones' transformation.
This was also why Samuel could easily control the ten clones like drones, making them perform their combat roles flawlessly.
"Boss?"
Alexia, hoping for praise, grew slightly concerned when Samuel remained silent for a while and took the initiative to ask, "Are you dissatisfied with this experiment? Or did something go wrong?"
"No, you and your team have done well… no, perfectly."
Snapping out of his thoughts, Samuel smiled and offered Alexia the praise she sought, then said, "From now on, you need to maintain a stable mindset. Remember, your attitude also affects the stability of the gene-seed."
"I know, I was just a little worried earlier."
Alexia resumed her usual carefree demeanor, smiling and waving her hand. Then, looking through the observation window, she saw technicians in white hazmat suits transferring two clones that had lost vital functions into sealed boxes and said, "Those two clones might still be repairable. Do you plan to reanimate them? Personally, I think reanimating them is a bit of a waste."
"No need for reanimation," Samuel agreed and, smiling slightly, added, "They can serve as my personal assistants and bodyguards, giving me a reason to tell Arthur that the hunters around me can return to doing what they do best."
Although Samuel didn't need any bodyguards, his position required them.
Arthur Morgan, the commander of the Hunter Company and head of ARS (Rapid Response), could no longer stay by Samuel's side to handle his affairs as before. So, he had selected more than a dozen elite hunters to replace him in those duties.
Through the combat trials, Samuel realized that by infusing his psychic energy into the ten clones and giving them simple instructions, they could perfectly fulfill their roles.
Thus, he planned to have these ten clones serve as assistants and bodyguards, allowing the hunters to return to their original roles.
"That works, but our bio department needs to complete all the tests first," Alexia had no objections.
"No rush."
"By the way," Alexia suddenly remembered something, "since the gene-seed is taking shape, what will you name the mass-produced super-soldier project?"
Upon hearing this, Samuel's tone grew serious. "We'll call it Astartes."
"Astartes?" Alexia repeated the name softly after hearing it from Samuel.
She knew nothing of *Warhammer 40k* or the twenty Astartes legions, but she nodded in agreement, saying, "Astartes is a primary deity in Mesopotamian mythology, known as the god of war, the sky, and wisdom. And war is indeed the destiny of mass-produced super-soldiers."
"Not just war," Samuel turned slightly, looking down at the confused Alexia, and explained, "I expect them to be more than extraordinary warriors, taking on the responsibility of defending humanity and resisting all threats. I also hope they can play roles like teachers, artists, researchers, and local officials in human society. Being a warrior should only be part of their identity, not their entire being."
"Being a warrior is only part of it," Alexia paused, but quickly understood Samuel's point. She smiled and agreed, "You're right. If we only focus on war, it would deviate from our original vision."
As the head of the biology department and the project's lead, Alexia understood that real gene-seed recipients would be selected from boys aged 8 to 11. This age group was ideal for the gene-seed to slowly and safely alter their bodies as they grew, giving them superhuman healing, strength, speed, and reflexes upon reaching adulthood.
Considering the company's current trajectory, Alexia could foresee that once Astartes recruitment was made public, countless parents would eagerly bring their sons to apply.
Atlas offered the best salaries, benefits, and education, and becoming a superhuman warrior was seen as an excellent career path by most parents.
However, Alexia also knew that if her boss said what he did, it meant that the candidates for the Astartes program would need to give their own consent, even though they were still young.
Even at that age, they deserved respect.
"By the way," Samuel's tone shifted, "your combat trials gave me another idea. The company can use the clone soldier prototypes and my gene-seed to clone and create a batch of biological weapons focused solely on war."
"You mean to base a new project on the ten clones from today?"
"Exactly," Samuel nodded. "We'll aim to reduce their production costs as much as possible. As for the project… we'll call it Thunder Warriors."
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