Difference between revisions of "IS Academy"

Latest revision as of 05:57, 7 January 2018

IS Academy is an academy where Infinite Stratos users from all over the world come to learn how to effectively pilot an IS. It is a boarding school comprising of mainly girls, even the staff are women who double as instructors due to their former status as pilots or test candidates. The academy has only one male student, Ichika Orimura.

History & Reason for the IS Academy

The IS Academy is, as its name suggested, an educational corporation meant to nurture IS controllers. The Japanese government sees it as a principle and duty to fund it and run it. However, the results of the research are revealed to the entire world due to the common agreement, and at the same time, Japan has no right to neither remain silent nor hide them. No matter what happens in this school, the Japanese government has to intervene fairly and has the obligation of settling these under the premises that the other countries in the treaty have agreed on. Also, the school has opened its doors to foreign students without any conditions, and the Japanese government is to provide protection—as according to the contents of the IS treaty regarding IS pilot training agencies. This is the school’s code of discipline.

Ichika's idea about the IS Academy's situation was "Basically, it’s like ‘you damned Japan, creating that IS and causing chaos in the world, at least you should build a school to train people in this field of discipline. Hand over your research and technology. Ah, you’ll bear all the financing costs’.

Design and Technology of the Area

It is built on an offshore island which can only be reached via a monorail connecting it to the mainland. It has a decidedly futuristic look, with all its domes and a branch-like tower in the middle of it. There are plenty of trees and parks to tone down the metallic look. The buildings are designated in different places to differentiate their purposes, such as the dormitories being next to a small bridge with trees and a small river under it.

Technology-wise, it is about as sophisticated as it can be. The classrooms are fitted with holographic desks which show the name of the student when called upon (like when Ichika is supposed to introduce himself, his name appeared beside him) and a holographic chalkboard. There are various "shimmering" holograms that appear all over the academy. There is a large moving holographic strip alongside the school building to broadcast pretty much everything, like weather, temperature, etc.

General Status

Due to the social status change that has come about due to the appearance of the IS, a few of the girls are generally arrogant towards the males because of their abilities to pilot an IS. But at the same time, the entire school population of girls are somewhat naive and curious about the opposite sex, as most of them are from all-girls schools. (Since females are the only ones who can pilot an IS, the government set it up such that children at a very young age are separated into same-gender schools, and it spent more funding on the girls' side).

Their knowledge of boys seems to be mostly from Boy's Love (Yaoi) Comics, as they were blushing at the idea of Ichika and "Charles" holding hands, and their comments of them sticking together for the selection matches. So they are very interested in Ichika (being the first male to pilot an IS), and often try to take the initiative to talk to him, and try to get the upper hand above the rest (like how a senior tried to discourage Houki from teaching Ichika about IS, saying that she has more experience than her). They likewise become very excited and motived when he's around or any chance to be around him (something that was taken advantage of by Tantenashi Sarashiki during the school festival by giving away the right to live in the same room as him in a contest in exchange for them to vote for the Student Council). 

Uniforms/IS Clothing

The uniform is standard among the entire school, white blazer with long sleeves and a skirt, with variations among the IS Candidate Representatives (a few normal students also have their uniforms customized). The only way to tell between the years is their neckties, which are different colors (blue for first years, yellow for second years, red for third years.)

1. Ichika Orimura - Being the only male, he wears a white blazer with long trousers.
2. Cecilia Alcott - Wears a long blouse that covers her legs.
3. Lingyin Huang - Detached sleeves for her blazer.
4. Charlotte Dunois - Wears a male uniform as a spy. As a girl, she wears a much shorter skirt than any of the other girls.
5. Laura Bodewig - Wears a pair of baggy pants and jockey boots.
6. Tatenashi Sarashiki - Wears sleeveless coat over her blazer and her skirt is arguably short.
7. Kanzashi Sarashiki - Have robot-like parts hanging on her hips' sides and puffs at the top of her sleeves.
8. Honne Nohotoke (non-Representative) - Extended sleeves that obscure her hands.
9. Utsuho Nohotoke (non-Representative, novel) - Short-sleeved blazer.
10. Mairead Sandilands - Wears Green leggings that end under the skirt, while the skirt stops an inch to two inches above the knee. A tartan sash in the clan colors of Sandilands goes from her left shoulder and ends at her right hip, where it is clasped with the crest of her family; displaying an eagle with wings spread, with the words 'Spero Meliora' on the badge.

When the students are doing IS training, they switch to a tight-fitting suit (similar to a one-piece swimsuit) and leg stockings that reached to their thighs. For the female Representative Candidates, they wear the same suit with varying colors, while Ichika wears a tank top and Bermudas of similar material.

Facilities

• Classrooms - There are at least 4 classrooms for 1st years, and there are classrooms for the seniors from the 2nd to 3rd years.
• Dormitories - The place where the students live. Each room has 2 single beds for roommates and a bathroom. There is also a public bath for them to use. Ichika was assigned different roommates at different points of the light novel due to him being an exception (in the manga & light novel, he was supposed to travel between his home and the academy, but his sister forcefully arranged it so he can stay, much to his chagrin). The upper level of the dormitories has been opened to allow guest to stay over and for those of the Multiverse that are accepted as students.
  • Ichika Orimura - Room 1025
  • Mairead Sandilands - Room 2015
• Changing rooms - A giant locker room located at the arena where the students can go and change into their training suits or their respective curricular clothes. Ichika has to go there all the time, because the girls always change in the classrooms (being the only male tires him out).
• Battle Arena - An area where duels, class representative tournaments and occasional IS practice take place, the edges are shielded to prevent accidents. There are:

1. There Are at least 6 of these battle arenas. Arena 6 is an open air arena connected to the central tower.
2. Stones benches for the spectators to sit and watch.
3. A VIP box for the countries guests, usually representatives of various R&D corporations.
4. 4 maintenance areas for the IS users to suit up, in addition to a launch pad leading to the arena. There is an observation room where the teachers can monitor the battle. the condition of the IS, and the security of the arena.

• Boys' Large Bath - A large indoor bathroom with views of the forest and the tower. This place was made as the teachers thought the boys (Ichika and "Charles") would need an area to freshen up after training.
• Infirmary - A place where IS students needed to treated for illness or injuries.

Extracurricular Activities

As it is a school, there are different clubs for the students to do extracurricular activities. The Student Council helps to manage the clubs by sending them aid and set up events to promote their works and attract new students to the school.

Known Clubs and Members

• Student Council - Tatenashi Sarashiki
• Kendo Club - Houki Shinonono
• Tennis Club - Cecilia Alcott
• Lacrosse Club - Lingyin Huang
• Cooking Club - Charlotte Dunois
• Tea Ceremony Club - Laura Bodewig
• Handball (Soccer) Club - Kiyoka Aikawa
• Newspaper Club - Mayuzumi Kaoruko
• Book Club - Mairead Sandilands

In the light novel, Ichika was forced to become the Vice-President of the Student Council, so that Tatenashi can keep an eye on him. However, she gave him trouble by "loaning" him to clubs under the pretense of giving aid, when it was meant to silence the girls who were complaining about Ichika "being monopolized by the Personal IS Group".

Security

Being the only IS Academy that teaches users how to pilot an IS, security is of the utmost importance. No unauthorised personnel can enter the IS Academy. For anyone who wish to be admitted into the IS Academy, they would need to be recognised by their respective governments to have the talent. The only exception was during the cultural festival, where the students are allowed to bring in guests, provided they have a pass to get in with.

Around the Battle Arena, there is an energy barrier similar to that of an IS (only stronger), meant to contain the amount of damage within the area, and also to keep unwanted interference. Should there be an intruder in the area, there will be a security lockdown, with shield barriers up to Level 4 (apparently the highest level possible) and shield shutters to partition the entire place. The teacher instructors will then come out in their IS (supposedly the Rafael Revive Basic models) to deal with the intruder.

Staff

• Juuzou Kutsuwagi - Principal of IS academy (outside world is told that his wife is the principal)
• Chifuyu Orimura - Homeroom Teacher of Class One & 1st Year Dorm Supervisor
• Maya Yamada - Assistant Homeroom Teacher in Class One
• Edwards Franchee - Math teacher & 25 years old from Canada

Students

1st Years

Class One

Class Rep: Ichika Orimura - Vice-President of the Student Council

• Houki Shinonono
• Cecilia Alcott
• Charlotte Dunois
• Laura Bodewig
• Honne Nohotoke - Student Council Member
• Kiyoka Aikawa
• Shizune Takatsuki
• Yuzu Tanimoto

Class Two

Class Rep: Lingyin Huang

Class Four

• Kanzashi Sarashiki

2nd Years

• Tatenashi Sarashiki - President of the Student Council
• Kaoruko Mayuzumi - Vice-President of Newspapers Club
• Forte Sapphire - pilot of the personal IS Cold Blood
• Sara Welkin - England's representative cadet
• Mairead Sandilands - Scotland's representative cadet, Multiverse Liasion, pilot of personal IS Clota

3rd Years

• Utsuho Nohotoke - Student Council Member
• Unnamed 3rd Year Senior - a girl who hides her intention to be with Ichika by offering him lessons in controlling IS, only to be deterred by Houki, who revealed her relations with her sister.
• Daryl Cayce - pilot of the personal IS Hellhound

Multiverse

• Nagato - Admiral of the Hikari Defense Alliance, pilot of IS Yugana Kaze

Info

Infinite Stratos (IS)

The IS was originally created for space work, so the pilot is protected by a special shield. Also, the IS has the ability to adjust body functions to keep the pilot in a stable state. It can increase heart rate, pulse, lung capacity, amount of sweat lost, and endorphin's, which are amino acids that the brain releases during times of pain, exercise, or excitement.

Today, even though many countries and enterprises engage in Infinite Stratos research and development, all information related to manufacturing the central component, called the core, has never been released. The cores of the 467 IS that exist today were all personally created by Doctor Shinonono. The IS core is effectively a black box, and no one other than Doctor Shinonono has succeeded in manufacturing one. However, Doctor Shinonono has declined to create more than a certain number. As a result, all countries, organizations, and enterprises are forced to do their research, development and training with their allotted number of IS cores. Trading of cores is strictly prohibited by Title 7 of the Alaska Treaty...

Additionally, when someone touches an IS, they receive information on the IS. The information floods into the consciousness of the individual and in a matter of seconds, anything and everything about the IS materializes in front of their eyes: the basic movements of the IS, operation method, capabilities, characteristics, existing equipment, active time limit, movement range, sensitivity, radar search, armor residue, output gauge, and so on...Within these seconds, the individual will understand everything about the IS. The vision is also linked to all sorts of sensors, the numbers and readouts appearing directly in the mind. The individual can the “feel” information about their surroundings through those readouts.

An Infinite Stratos (IS) is a powered exoskeleton, Designed by Tabane Shinonono, they possess technology and combat capabilities far more advanced than any other weapon system, thus threatening to destabilize the world. All IS's have the following features; Passive Inertia Control or PIC. The PIC allows the IS to accomplish extreme agility and mobility unparalleled by any conventional platform. PIC largely absorbs and negates impact shock, thus protecting the pilot and the IS from catastrophic events such as high-speed collision. Hyper Sensor, which when linked to the pilot, she receives augmented sensory input data from IS's sensor, directly into 5 sensory system in her body. Simply put, when piloting an IS, the pilot's senses such as vision are greatly improved. Using the sensory data input from IS, the pilot gains 360-degree field of view, being able to 'see' directions that are not possible for human body without turning her head.

All IS's have shielding that is the primary protection for the IS and the pilot, which is provided through the use of an energy shield that can block both physical and optical weapons. Repairing of an IS is automatically handled upon receiving damage while in its Closed Form period. Additionally, as the IS is involved in fights, the core of the IS records the data. The resulting data collected would be implemented throughout its component to improve their efficiency, however, the damaged component would be left out of the equation.

IS Training Suit

The IS Training Suit is a suit that looks like an old school swimsuit, each manufacturer adds advanced life protection function and comfort while complying with regulations specified by the school. A vital monitor is built into the intelligence tag at the base of the throat; it is able to constantly check the student’s physiological state and position. This suit is worn by students when equipping most standard-type IS. The holes in the hip region, as well as intentionally cutting off the part where most stresses occur during exercise in the old school swimsuit and dispersing the load, also functions as a ventilator. The sealing part of the leg protector adheres to the skin when the switch of the tag is pressed causing the voltage to go through the silicon molecules.

Additionally, the IS Suit will detect the weak electricity on the skin and pass the signals of the user's movements to all the parts of the body before the IS can take action. Also, this suit is really durable, it can completely withstand a mini-caliber gunshot. The IS suit is also able to absorb sweat and the wearer is never affected due to this. All students and IS pilots have these suits that are normally worn under regular clothing.

Features/Characteristics of all IS

PIC (Passive Inertia Control): Incorporating PIC allows the IS to accomplish extreme agility and mobility unparalleled by any conventional platform. PIC largely absorbs and negates impact shock, thus protecting the pilot and the IS from catastrophic events such as high-speed collision. PIC is also applied to flight assist and coupled with gravity control technology, makes IS capable of flight and hovering.

Hyper Sensor: When the pilot is linked to the Hyper Sensor, she receives augmented sensory input data from IS's sensor, directly into 5 sensory system in her body. Simply put, when piloting an IS, the pilot's senses such as vision are greatly improved. Using the sensory data input from IS, the pilot gains 360-degree field of view, being able to 'see' directions that are not possible for human body without turning her head (Such as behind, directly above and below). However, because such improved sensory input is much different from the normal human body, the pilot must process the input data into something she could comprehend first. (The speed and efficiency of processing such data decides the effectiveness of IS piloting).

Shielding: The primary protection for the IS and the pilot provided through the use of an energy shield that can block both physical and optical weapons. The level of protection of an IS shied is sufficient to be impenetrable to most conventional weaponry, but can be penetrated by high-powered IS weaponry. The integrity of the energy shield is maintained unless the IS is depleted of power, but the shield tends to lose its strength when nearing a complete power depletion.

Battle Damage/Repair: As an IS gains experience during any situation while it is active, (be it normal training or combat, or even a simple checkup) it records data about its every components and proceeds with optimization process. When a IS receives damage, it automatically tries to repair the damage during its Closed Form period. The resulting data collected would be implemented throughout its component to improve their efficiency, but the damaged component would be left out of the equation. It is possible to activate a damaged IS (as long as it has power left) but such action - especially entering combat situation with a damaged IS - is highly undesirable, since the IS would try to cope with the given situation only with components that are still operational. Activating a partially damaged IS causes the inoperable components (damaged parts) to stop optimization until it is fully repaired.

Components

Cores: The Black box of an IS that allows it to function. Because only 467 Cores were created, most of them are shared by the world's governments where only a few IS pilots, who work under certain organizations and large corporations, possess their own personal IS. The reason for having Designated Pilot and Personal IS lies with the very nature of IS itself; possessing self-evolving mechanism which is manifested only when the IS is kept paired with a pilot for a prolonged time. It is considered illegal to exchange or remove the cores, due to the fact the core is a mixture of an AI and a power source. Of the 467 cores created, 322 are used for actual combat and the remaining 145 are handed over to research facilities and enterprises of various countries.

Energy Barrier/Absolute Defense: The Absolute Protection is activated by IS itself and not by the pilot. If the attack is deemed by the IS as not life-threatening to cause serious injury to its pilot, IS would not activate Absolute Protection ability, even if it results in minor~moderate injury to its pilot. This ability is said to be able to protect the pilot from any kind of attack, but it also has seriously high power consumption, depleting the power of IS with just single activation (In that sense, it is more like pilot safety mechanism rather than combat defense mechanism). In competitions, the pilot is declared to have lost the fight if the shield level hits zero, so as to avoid any injury to the pilots.

Mandatory Unlock: Although only mentioned once the IS also reacts to extreme damage to the IS itself or its pilot. This is called the “mandatory unlocks”. There is a warning that you are taking too much damage. If this continues the IS will return to its “closed form”. Apparently, it is dangerous for this to happen.

Preset: The standard weapon/equipment that all IS possess in the beginning, such as swords for melee type, rifles for long range.

Equalizer: All IS' come with basic weaponry, called a Preset, but it also has a number of expansion slots that could be used to field additional equipment, which comes in various forms, such as additional weaponry, thrusters, and augmented armor plates. These Equalizers need to be installed into the IS first, not an easy feat to accomplish since every IS core is unique and each of them has its individuality, (one might say personality) it is possible for a IS to reject installation of certain Equalizer.

The Equalizers could be assembled into package type for an IS, designed to fulfill a specific task, as long as there are enough expansion slots left. (A bombardment package would consist of something like following sets of Equalizers: Long-range cannon + Stabilizer device + Augmented armor plate). An Equalizer Package tends to be designed for a specific IS, since components such as additional thrusters or armor plates would have to fit the IS. (For the same reason, hand-held weapon type Equalizers tend to be more compatible with other IS).

• Advantage: Equalizers that are attached to IS (such as thrusters or armor plates) are called up simultaneously with IS, but hand-held weapon type could be called up while inactivation. In this manner, the pilot doesn't have to worry about carrying numerous equipment during activation. She just needs to call up the weapon that is needed at any given time. Also, Equalizers allow for enhanced combat ability by allowing the IS pilot more options and versatility while in battle, provided training is undergone to learn the mechanics of the pilot's various Equalizers.
• Disadvantage: Equalizer, just like an IS in closed form, is called up by pilot's thought process. It is possible to call up by announcing the name of Equalizer, (or IS) but this is only because the announcing act helps the pilot to concentrate her thought (which is the actual command). The 'announcing' way is considered as a method for an inexperienced pilot who has difficulty with call-up just with a mental command. Also, verbally announcing the Equalizer or IS basically ends up warning the opponents, and verbal announcement takes rather long time compared to the time required by an experienced pilot to mentally command call-up, which takes a fraction of seconds. Since Equalizer is the materialization of installed data within the IS (This is same for all IS) even if it is damaged or destroyed during combat, it is not truly 'gone,' but it does require maintenance or restoration just like damaged IS, and is rendered ineffective or inoperable during those periods.

Forms of IS

The following talks about the different forms an IS will take: Inactive Form/Standby Mode - The form all IS take when there are no pilots. In this case, IS retains the physical manifestation of its components even when inactivated, and call-up just activates IS without any significant visible change. Described by Ichika to be kneeling like a samurai before its Lord. All Training IS are in this state since the fitting process is rendered useless due to multiple users. Active Mode

1st Shift - The form taken after the IS has finished configuring the settings. This is the stage that most users would have for Personal IS. Here they gained full usage of the weaponry given.

2nd Shift - An upgrade from the 1st Shift. This is apparently a rare case for an IS to go into a second form, as there are not many cases of IS unit evolving to 2nd Shift. In 2nd Shift, the IS undergoes a dramatic transformation, altering its appearance and gaining new abilities, in particular, the One Off Ability, which is unique to that particular unit and is only available on 4th Gen IS'.

3rd Shift - This is the upgrade from 2nd Shift and just like the 2nd Shift, it is rare for this to happen and is extremely limited. The IS undergoes a dramatic transformation, altering its appearance and gaining new abilities, in particular, the One Off Ability, which is unique to that particular unit just like 2nd Shift and only on 4th Gen IS'.

Closed Form - The form the IS takes when not being used. It takes on different shapes for different users, mostly accessories like a ring, earrings, necklaces, etc. for girls, and a gauntlet/bulky bracelet for Ichika.

Related Searches

IS Size Comparison

IS Size Comparison, CLICK TO EXPAND