#Pandora Merriett

[battlestuck]

PM is a definite oddity in the world of Battlestuck. She is “based” on a canon character, but that character is a speechless and near-featureless creature without much in the way of a personality- a mascot of sorts, nothing of any real heft. In the earliest days of Battlestuck, she was put in to diversify the class a bit and introduce a character to parallel Shogo Kawada- that is to say, a grizzled but haunted veteran of a previous Program.

The initial idea for PM was for her to be a cold and distant figure who rarely showed emotion and said as little as possible, a figure who immediately communicated separation from her classmates. When I tried writing her this way, I ran into a block: she acted too much like Rose, and combined with their somewhat similar designs, we were ending up with “Rose” and “Rose, only moreso” as two members of our main trio.

Thus, PM had to be rebalanced. The original idea was for her to serve as a cynical foil to John’s naivete, with Rose being pulled between them. Instead of that tired trio mechanic, PM blends traits from her two friends while being her own distinct entity. Like Rose, she is businesslike and understanding of the realities of her situation. Like John, she is genial and easygoing, trying to preserve a semblance of ordinary life in the mad world of the island.

It is eventually revealed that the latter is an act. PM feels that she died with her session, and so she affects a persona to make herself seem approachable and trustworthy. Penny Majors made friends by virtue of being sweet and friendly, and while Pandora Merriett is not those things, she remembers enough of her past life to pretend to be like that. PM is representative of the worst case scenario for a game winner- a tormented, suicidal winner, a broken shell of a girl who lives only for spite.

As the story’s mentor figure, PM tries to impart her ideas onto John and Rose. For her, the entire game was a series of tests for the two of them. The loss of Casey, the bringing in of Vriska, the fight at the lighthouse... PM was less interested in the going-ons of the game and more interested in John and Rose’s reactions to them.

In John, she saw WV. Like him, John is honest and true, a kind and honorable person desperately trying to keep his morals intact in a world utterly hostile to them. In Rose, PM saw both herself and WQ- tough and smart, but vulnerable and unused to self-reliance. Rose has never been a one-woman show- she defines herself through her interactions with others. Her friendship with Casey is symptomatic of that.

In PM’s eyes, the two of them are a “do-over”. Her and WV again, but with the guidance of a benevolent force in herself instead of a malignant one like Jack Noir. While PM loves and loathes Jack, she understands that his intent all along was to mold her into something new. She decides to do the same to Rose and John.

But her intentions go beyond that. PM is an empty shell, but she lives still for a few reasons. Namely, she wants to kill Scratch (a rather reasonable desire considering what he has done to her) and she wants to deliver WV’s letter. This is both a cutesy nod to her canon self’s obsession with delivering mail and a reversal of Battlestuck’s usual paradigm. Humans in Battlestuck become objects- PM refers to herself as a sword on multiple occasions- so it only makes sense that an object become more valuable to PM than any person.

Near the end of the story, PM grows to resemble her canon self even more. Gamzee slices open her forehead and Vriska knocks out her teeth, leaving her with facial wrappings covering all but her eyes. While this was again originally conceived as a nod to the canon, it also serves to foreshadow her eventual fate. The last time PM’s face was covered was her time in the hospital after her first game- and in that bed, she died for the first time. John and Rose and the hope they inspire breathe new life into PM’s body, but with her face wrapped once more, she dies a second and more permanent death.

It’s just as well. The story frequently teased the possibility of PM betraying John and Rose at a critical moment, but she never did. She was loyal to the two of them until her last, and when she died a sudden death to a force far beyond her, she did so willingly. There was no hope left for her, and once she fulfilled her objectives, she had every intention of suicide. John and Rose still had things to live for- she had to do what she could to try and save them.

Much is made of what each character in Battlestuck represents- and PM represents arguably the most important theme of the story, transformation. She goes from a kind but nervous girl to an bloodthirsty savage to a husk masquerading as a person to a young woman willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for her beliefs. If there is hope in this story, it lies in her. She recovered- not much, and it made no difference- but she recovered. PM fell into the darkness, and she clawed her way back up.

[battlestuckooc]

What was PM's prognosis in the Exile session? What is it in the Beta?

Her Exile Session prognosis is a spoiler.

Her Beta Session prognosis will be revealed along with her profile.

[battlestuck]

FEMALE STUDENT NUMBER THREE

Full name: Pandora Merriett

Birthday: February 12, 1993

Hair Color: White

Eye Color: Black

Height: 5’8

Weight: 133 lb.

Distinguishing Physical Characteristic(s): In phenomenal physical condition for a young lady her age. Torso is covered in scars, most distinctly a gunshot wound on her left shoulder. A large amount of metal in her body from reconstructive surgeries causes her to set off metal detectors.

Disciplinary Issues: Truancy.

Extracurricular activities: None.

GPA: 2.5

Personality notes: Quiet and reserved- many school days go by where she literally says nothing at all. Miss Merriett is in truth quite talkative, but she lacks the energy or motivation to be sociable and her guard is up so high that nobody is willing to make conversation with her. Remorseless and cold, though capable of a veneer of kindness. Not cruel, but merciless in her removal of obstacles between her and what she wants.

Weapon: Machete.

Game Prognosis: Very Good. Never before has a former game winner participated in a session before, so it should be fascinating to see how she does. She knows better than any of her classmates what it takes to win a session, and her athletic ability will allow her to outmatch her opponents. However, it remains to be seen if one who has gone through the mental and emotional trauma that she has can successfully foster and maintain an alliance. Without them, she is unlikely to succeed twice.

Other notes: A thorn in the Empire’s side ever since she left her hospital bed, Miss Merriett has been consorting with rebels and purposefully acting in a shady manner. What she has planned is unknown, but using the Program to finish her off will do the job as well as give this particular session an interesting bend to it.

[battlestuckooc]

Will you be revealing more about Pandora after Battlestuck itself is over?

All will be revealed in time.