Inspired by John's idea of the four Horsemen's origins, this is just a one shot. Nothing too elaborate and mainly for fun. However it does depict something I believe would happen. If YOU created the Horsemen...wouldn’t you feel terrible?
My name is Atum, and this is most likely my final log. Behind me you can see eight tubes, four red and four white. The red ones are what I was told to create, or rather what is inside the tubes. I was told to create new breeds of warriors. Through extensive genetic engineering and biological augmentations, I completed my mission as soon as possible.
But I still wasn't fast enough.
The San ‘Shyuum bought us some time, but eventually the enemy proved to be too much. Too powerful, too fast, and too ruthless. We had to step in and aid them, and I have no regrets about that. It's what allies should do.
This second war didn't need to happen though. I've tried and tried to convince the higher ups to contact the Forerunners, but they wouldn't listen. They said we needed everyone in the war effort. The fools lead us into a two front war, not thinking that we could have sent ONE vessel far ahead of us to contact the Forerunners. We won the first one, through the use of genetic engineering. By the time we "won", our military strength was almost depleted. So we attempted to use genetic engineering to our advantage again, except this time we aimed to improve Humans. Something that we always seem to strive for.
This drive, and the instinct of survival, drove the generals to order me to create these things. They behave like men, speak like men, and even look like men... But they are not.
I had created super soldiers capable of destruction beyond measure. Men with the power of the apocalypse at their hands. They were finished months ago... But I didn't tell the generals. I could not release these monsters without some way of checking their powers. So I told my superiors that I was only halfway done, which was partially true.
I had finished creating the four soldiers, but I had yet to create their counterparts. Those who would keep them in line, with equally powerful capabilities to restore whatever damage they had done.
I had created men who were warriors, full of destruction. Now I had created women who were caretakers, full of creation. They would maintain a balance with each other.
They are named: Peace, Bounty, Health, and Life. Opposites to what the previous four stood for.
Peace has the power of being able to calm others, bringing an end to conflicts. Everything about her is peaceful: her voice, her face, her touch, even her smell. All them designed to toy with Human psychology to create, what some may say, a peaceful aura around her. Able to feel the emotions of others, so she can sympathize with them and earn their trust. Her abilities for peace only increase when peace reigns.
Bounty can speed up vegetation growth and communicate with animals, able to heal entire ecosystems. She releases beneficial super viruses by touch, who then rewrite the genetic code of organism to improve them, most useful when accelerating vegetation growth. Her vocal chords are complex and flexible, and her ears can hear all frequencies, allowing her to be able to imitate almost any noise perfectly, most useful when communicating with animals. It is in her nature to be generous and giving towards all life.
Then there is Health. She is an expert in medicine, both natural and synthesized. She can better organisms through genetic therapy and she is always determined to aid others. Able to send electrochemical impulses from her hand to the brain of another, she can even instruct their body's movements and sensations. Through this, she is able to remove the feeling of pain itself. She believes in the use of science for the betterment of all species.
Finally there is Life, perhaps the pinnacle of the four. She is selfless and caring, willing to give everything for others. Her most unique trait is setting things right., especially wounds She is gifted with infectious “super” cancer which does sound terrible at first. Cancer spreads very quickly, the result of cells dividing far too quickly. I began to look at cancer and found that it didn’t bring death. It brought life, far too much. So Life, the caretaker, has also been given a virus to target cancer. After infecting an organism with cancer, the virus will target these cells and revert them into stem cells. From here the stem cells will grow into the necessary cells needed to cure whatever wound they have been created in. Unfortunately she cannot use this ability on herself, so she can sustain fatal wounds like the rest of my creations.
These caretakers are not combatants, but the warriors obviously are. To remedy this, I have given them nearly invincible armour that is remarkable, even by our standards; lower civilizations could only see it as god like. Energy shielding of the highest strength, carbon fibre robes, and armour of the strongest metals.
The warriors however... they are to be the guardians of the caretakers. The Eight can sense each other, and with this ability they will be able to tell when one of them is in danger.
Nothing in this galaxy is complete without its opposite. There cannot be War without Peace, Famine without Bounty, Health without Pestilence, and Life without Death. I believe that, in time, they will realize the truth of my statement, and find their fates to be intertwined with the caretakers. Together they will maintain a balance within Humanity, and perhaps within the galaxy.
Should the might of these warriors not prove enough, I have also created an augment. It is a liquid imbued with genetic information, able to take effect almost immediately due to its high solubility in blood. Every part of the body is optimized, and with their already mighty abilities I cannot imagine what could overcome one my warriors after taking this augment. I have sealed this liquid inside a crystal, which has been hidden away on one of our planets. It survived Flood infestation miraculously, so I will take that as a sign of good luck. It will be safe there, hidden away.
BOOM
Time is short now, and I must go soon. The Forerunners have stormed the facility, aware that we, I, am up to something. I would like to release my warriors, have them fight off the Forerunners so that I could live to see another day.
But where would we go? We have no more ships, and they are but four soldiers. Despite their abilities, all my work would be lost eventually. No, they must live and aid Humanity from elsewhere. So I am sending them to Erde-Tyrne via slip space, to a secret location. The San ‘Shyuum have given me time locks for these capsules, and I have set them to activate some time from now. Perhaps a few months, after I can present my findings to the Lord Of Admirals and retrieve my work. I do not know if my documents will survive this siege, but I do know that if I send them out now, I can work backward from the finished product and derive a process of creation from there.
Now I have to go. I’ll either die here, be taken prisoner, or escape. All I know is that I can rest easy now, knowing that I have done something to keep the power of the four warriors in check.
If you have something to add, like a more appropriate name for the Horsemen's counterparts, please feel free to share. I may or may not do a second part, perhaps discuss the fates of the caretakers. No more than three parts though.