Pandora of Genetics

Pandora are genetically modified girls who undergo intense training at special military schools in order to become soldiers and learn how to fight the Nova, creatures from another dimension that are invading the Earth. A Pandora's strength originates from Stigmata, which are implanted into their backs, giving them superhuman speed and strength that is ten times that of an average person and allows them to use special Volt Weapons and Volt Textures that respond to their bodies. Pandora were developed by Dr. Gengo Aoi.

Pandoras are the world's military response to the Nova threat. In order to qualify to become a Pandora a girl needs to have a compatibility check in order to be accepted. All young girls are required take a test to measure their compatibility, which usually takes place when they are 10. It can take years for an individual to receive their test results. Compatibility with Stigmata is an inborn trait of Pandora and not many girls are accepted, resulting in a limited supply of Pandora. It is not revealed just what is the minimum requirement for compatibility as Genetics would accept girls, such as Marin Maxwell, who can just barely sync with their Stigmata which causes strain-like side-effects. A surprisingly large number of Pandora come from wealthy families, a fact that has been noted by both students and members of the military.

Girls are then sent to training camps as Cadets for six weeks. There they are undergo intense and brutal training to prepare them for the worse.

Once they have proven themselves and have survived the unforgiving training, they are sent to various Genetics Academies around the world. Pandora are then implanted with a certain amount of Stigmata which typically ranges from two to four with exceptional Pandora bearing between five and eight.

Pandoras have a strict hierarchy. Lower year Pandoras are to treat their Seniors with respect and are to obey them. Harsh punishment await those who are rebellious. While most Senior Pandora only punish the Lower Years because it is necessary and for the sake of discipline, some take it too far and are just abusing their higher ranking. 3rd Year Pandora are in control of the student body but this is due to the 4th Years being integrated into the Chevalier during their last year. When a Pandora graduates, she may choose to continue her service by joining the Chevalier or to retire and return to being an ordinary citizen, giving up her Stigmata in the process.

Few times in a year, Pandoras participate in events called Carnivals wherein they fight and are given their ranking in terms of power. In Carnivals, it is not against the rules for a Pandora to kill her opponents. A Pandora's ranking greatly affects her influence and authority in Genetics.

In combat, Pandora are divided into teams, each is lead by a Genetics senior or a member of the Chevalier, and all teams have a hand-to-hand combat formation. Each team has a set of Decoys, Strikers, and at least one Finisher. The decoys guide and disrupt the Nova's attacks to create an opening. The strikers destroys the Nova's armor to expose the core, and the finisher deals decisive blows to the Nova's core. Decoys are normally fast Pandora with good control over their High End Skills. Strikers tend to bear blunt weapons or can strike the Nova's core from a safe distance, such as Elizabeth Mably. Finishers are commonly Accel-Type Pandora with bladed weapons, such as Cassie Lockheart and Satellizer L. Bridget. All-Rounders are the forth category, two of which are Chiffon Fairchild and Rana Linchen. These Pandora can perform the job of any of the aforementioned positions if needed.

Limiters are the male counterparts of the Pandora. They act as support for the Pandora and use a special power called "Freezing" to negate the Freezing effect of Novas and in turn immobilize them so that Pandora's would be able to move in and to defeat them.

Pandoras are typically paired with Limiters during the former's second year and the latter's first year. This is to ensure better compatibility between the two and to allow the Pandora's' Stigmata time to mature. A Pandora will invite the Limiter of her choosing to the privacy of her room otherwise known as the First Room Invitation. A Baptism ceremony will then be performed wherein the Pandora will give one of her Stigmata to her Limiter. This will allow them to activate their Ereinbar Set where they can link their senses and grant the Limiter access to the Freezing ability.

A Pandora's relationship with their Limiter varies among individuals. Most will develop close bonds of mutual trust. If a Pandora is not with friends, she is with her Limiter. A high number become lovers, with examples being Ganessa Roland, Cassie Lockheart and Milena Marius, and would end up getting married after graduating from Genetics.

Professional relationships also exist in the case of Elizabeth Mably and Chiffon. A Pandora may even have more than one Limiter if her number of Stigmata allow it. Miyabi Kannazuki is the only known Pandora to have more than one Limiter at a time. It is rare for a Pandora to be without a Limiter. Satellizer L. Bridget initially refused to have a Limiter due to her fear of being touched. Su-Na Lee is a very rare case as she hated her Limiter and was glad to be rid of him, regarding him as in "it".

By 2065, many individuals note that the current Pandora system is in decline, with Pandora numbers on a constant decrease. In Freezing: Zero, the reason for this is attributed to the sudden increase in Pandora casualties, due to the increase in Nova Clashes.