Radio Noise

The Radio Noise or Sisters project was originally a project that intended to use clones of Misaka Mikoto that were created using her DNA, for military. The clones were later reused for the Level 6 Shift experiments, as so Accelerator, the strongest level 5 in Academy City can reach level 6.

Concept and Creation
According to the report in one of the computers at 7th Medical Institute Research Center of the Higuchi Pharmacies, one can successfully produce fertilized eggs of Misaka Mikoto, a clone, using the somatic cells extracted from Mikoto’s hair.

Using the drug Zid-02 Riz-13 Hel-03 significantly reduces the time the mind and body of the clone needs to grow to the same state as that of Mikoto to that of roughly 14 days. Cultivation tanks are used for the development of the clones, and the Testament machine created by Nunotaba Shinobu will be used to input basic intracerebral information into the clones.

It is later shown that due to the clones having an accelerated growth due to drugs and hormones, that their bodies began to deteriorate and lifespans shortened after prolonged periods, though they simply require readjustments for them to able to survive.

Background
Mikoto willingly gave a DNA sample to the researchers at the 7th Medical Institute Research Center of the Higuchi Pharmacies, under assumption that they would use it to help children who are unable to control their muscles; using her powers and replicate it, they can can control the bioelectrical signal of the body and reroute it to a nerve signal network, they maybe able to gain control of the muscle, thus allowing movement.

Though this was a complete fabrication, as the true purpose of using Mikoto's DNA is to create a clone of Misaka Mikoto, the Railgun.

Failure of the First Production Plan
Before mass production of the clones could begin, the simulation that the Tree Diagram produced showed that it was impossible to create an exact clone of Mikoto without genetic manipulation and a posteriori education, which would cost the project heavily. It showed that the clones' specifications only reached 1% that of Mikoto, which is equal to that of being level 2.

To cut losses, the project was suspended indefinitely, all ongoing research stopped, research teams were dissolved, and data on the project purged.

Second Production Plan: Level 6 Shift
However, the Level 6 Shift program – an experiment designed to make Accelerator, the strongest level 5 in Academy City reach level 6 – reused the project. The project was reused after Tree Diagram calculated that Accelerator killing Mikoto 128 times in battle, will make achieve level 6; however, since 128 level 5 Mikoto clones cannot be prepared, it was calculated by Tree Diagram that Accelerator killing 20,000 clones would achieve the same results. Here, Amai Ao a researcher from the original project was made to direct the experiments. Nunotaba Shinobu was recalled as well to supervise the inputting of intracerebral information into clones, though she shortly left after realizing that clones were human as well.

Shortly before the termination of the Level 6 Shift and the Sisters project, Misaka 20001 also known Last Order, was created as a fail-safe if ever the clones ran out-of-control, this makes Last Order the administrator of the Misaka Network and the superior of the clones.

Legacy and Aftermath
After the termination of the project, General Superintendent Aleister Crowley purposely planned for Level 6 Shift to fail and have the sister clones distributed all around the globe to branch facilities for readjustments. The reason being is to cover the globe with a massive AIM-field as the clones, which is a crucial part of his plan in eliminating magic.

Another production of Mikoto clones were created as well, though they were created in a different project. These clones are called Misaka Worst, and are level 4 clones of Mikoto. They look older and have a much more aggressive personality.

Sisters
After being released from it's cultivation chamber, the clone will look exactly like Mikoto though with longer hair and with the mentality to that of a newborn infant. They are later sent to a Testament machine, where information and emotions are installed into their brains. Their hair are later cut-short into the style similar to that of Mikoto, and are later possibly given missions and orders.

Appearance
In physical appearances, the clones all look similar to Mikoto, even down to their clothing – except panties – and as such people such as Touma have a hard time telling them apart from one another or from Mikoto. In all drawn apperances, the clones' eyes are distinctly different from that of Mikoto or Last Order, though none of the characters seem to acknowledge or notice this so they might be just guidelines for the the audience, as so they can differentiate the clones from Mikoto. All known sister clones except Last Order, have a special set of goggles that they use to track electrons as unlike Mikoto they do not have that ability, the goggles are their most prominent feature and is used to differentiate them.

Personality
The clones personality however, are from that of Mikoto. Due to clones emotions being surpressed – as they are unneccessary to the experiment – one can concur that they are emotionless as their expressions often remain the same, though they are not emotionless and can still feel emotions even if they do not understand it. Because of their surpressed emotions, the clones require for them to talk in the third person describing themselves after finishing a sentence.

Initially thinking little of themselves as individuals or even human, the clones later began developing a sense of self and indivuality after the termination of the project. Such as falling in love for Touma, and trying to gain upper-hand in regards to him, such as dieting, and gifts.

Abilities
The sisters are level 3 electromasters, and can generate at least 50000 volts of electricity. Though they are unable to track electrons unlike Mikoto, and require goggles for them see them. All sister clones except Last Order, are trained in the use of military standard weapons, such as machine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles and land mines.

Misaka Network
Unique to the clones is their ability known as Radio Noise (欠陥電気, Kekkan Denki, "Flawed Electric"). Which enables them to connect to the Misaka Network, a brainwave network formed out of their similar brainwave frequency patterns, which is similar to the Level Upper Network, in fact Kiyama Harumi used the idea of espers with the same brainwave frequency patterns from the clones to create the Level Upper, due to it's great proccessing potential.

With the Misaka Network, the clones can experience and share the same memories of the other clones, though clones can willingly withheld information from being passed into the network, though this is seen only after the end of the experiments, and they have already established a sort of self-identity that is seperate from each other. As it is similar to the Level Upper Network, using the Misaka Network, each individual clone mind connected to the network can be used for calculating purposes. This ability was used by the Heaven Canceler to help Accelerator regain half of his calculating ability, after being shot in the head and acquiring brain damage.

Sisters Arc
The Sisters Arc chronologically begins in the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun sidestory. Before Mikoto's discovery of the clones, rumors around Academy City began to spread about her having clones. The suspicion grew greater after Mikoto met Nunotoba Shinobu, and was confirmed by Mikoto herself that there were plans to create clones from her DNA, though much to her relief, the project seemed to have stopped before mass production after discovering that it was impossible for the clones to reach Mikoto's current level.

However, things started to turn for the worst when Mikoto discovers the existence of her clones were in fact true, and are being used for the growth of Accelerator into level 6. After the slaying of Misaka 9982 in the hands of Accelerator and him sparing her life due to the intervention of the clones themselves, Mikoto takes it upon herself to stop the experiments, initially sabotaging the research facilities with the use of her hacking and electric abilities, she is later forced to destroy facilities personally after the management of the project has blocked her. However, because of this she is forced to do fight against the underground group, team ITEM who were hired to stop her. Even after coming victorious, and successfully sabotaging another facility involved in the experiment, her efforts were in vain, as the project was distributed were to various facilities. Mikoto later planned to manipulate the information being given by Tree Diagram, as the researchers relied on its computation to determine various things about the experiment. However, Mikoto's plans were completely destroyed after she discovers that Tree Diagram was already destroyed, and that the experiments continue on even without it.

The Toaru Majutsu no Index storyline begins after Mikoto assumed that the experiments have been halted due to her attacks, here, Touma meets Misaka 10031 and from whom Mikoto confirms that the experiments are still on-going despite her efforts. Touma later meets Misaka 10032 and bonds with her, and later through her, discovers the existence of the clones and the experiment with Accelerator. Touma later meets with an anguished Mikoto who just discovered that the Tree Diagram has been destroyed. Here, she plans on sacrificing herself by being killed by Accelerator at the first move, proving Tree Diagram wrong that she would be killed in a set number of moves. Though obviously Touma is against this, and after being electrocuted by Mikoto decides to fight Accelerator himself to prove that he is truly weak, destroying the assumption that Accelerator is the strongest esper. With the help of Mikoto and the clones who she convinced to protect Touma's dream, Accelerator is defeated and the experiment is stopped.

The clones are sent to various facilities for readjustments, as their bodies were deteriorating and their lifespans shortening, due to their accelerated growth through drugs and hormones.

Three Stories Arc
The sisters are again touched upon after the defeat of Accelerator. Here, Last Order is introduced as the 20001st clone, designed to control the Misaka Network, and asks Accelerator to help her find a research facility as so her body can become stable, as she had prematurely escaped her incubation tank. Last Order is later kidnapped by Amai Ao, who installed a virus into her – as is the reason she is escaped her tank – which would make the sister clones go haywire and out-of-control. Using his vector abilities, Accelerator is able to erase the virus from Last Order's mind, however, due to him being busy erasing the virus using his powers, Accelerator was use it to defend himself and is shot by Amai Ao.

After the arc, Accelerator loses half of his computational abilites, as well as the ability to talk properly and his ability to move. Heaven Canceler later uses the Misaka Network to compensate for half of his computational abilities, as well as the ability to talk and move.

List of known clones produced from the project

 * Full-Tuning
 * Misaka 9982
 * Misaka 10031
 * Misaka 10032
 * Misaka 10777
 * Last Order