Cyber-Planners were bio-mechanical constructs built and used by the Cybermen in Doctor Who. The Cyber-Empire would utilize these living computers to formulate battle strategies.
Description[]
A typical Cyber-Planner appeared as an oval-shaped "head" surrounded by a framework of metallic and plastic tubing. The head section was likely little more than a brain encased in a metal shell. The Cyber-Planner's consciousness could take over the mind of an organic life-form and use the knowledge and capacity within to fulfil its function. The minds of children in particular were targeted for their imaginative potential, although later Cyber-Planner units could take over any species, even Time Lords.
Functions[]
The Cyber-Planner gathered data from a large variety of sources. It could scan local media transmissions and even channel data from certain human subjects. It used this data to formulate strategies and make decisions based upon probability of success.
The Cyber-Planner had no defensive capabilities and could be destroyed by emotions created by the cerebration mentor, suggesting that they had organic components.
In an alternate timeline, highly advanced Cyber-Planners served as battle strategists within Cyber-Kings, capable of effectively predicting enemy attack patterns without any errors.
Known Cyber-Planners[]
Cyber Module[]
Appearing in the Second Doctor story "The Invasion", the Cyber Module was responsible for directing the Cybermen's first recorded invasion of Earth. The Module was installed in Tobias Vaughn's office at International Electromatics in London, where it acted as a communications channel between Vaughn and the Cybermen, and recognised the Second Doctor and Jamie McCrimmon from Planet 14, urging Vaughn to destroy them.
After discovering that they had two days before Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart reported to the UN, thus jeopardising the whole invasion, Vaughn and the Module argued whether they should bring their plans forward, as the invasion forces were not complete. After Vaughn stated he would sever all help if the invasion was not brought to the dawn of the next day, the Director relented.
Later, the Cyber Module went over the plan for invasion. However, after stating they would identify and convert suitable humans and destroy the rest, Vaughn argued their agreement was that he could rule Earth and the Cybermen could take mineral resources. The Director demanded that Vaughn should be fully converted to act as a leader. After Vaughn insisted his mind remain human, the Director relented. One hour before the start of the invasion, the Cyber Module and Vaughn began counting down until the signal could be sent. After the invasion began, the Module and Vaughn confronted the Doctor, as the Module stated the invasion fleet would arrive in two waves. After the humans began fighting back against the Cyber Fleet, the Module believed Vaughn had betrayed them, and revealed that the Cybermen were going to destroy Earth with a cyber megaton bomb. In retribution, the Module was destroyed by Vaughn's Cerebration Machine.
Mr. Clever[]
In the Eleventh Doctor story "Nightmare in Silver", the Doctor was infected with Cyber-Mites during a visit to Hedgewick's World of Wonders. The Cyber-Mites partially converted the Doctor into a Cyber-Planner, which took over half of the Doctor's mind and took on its own persona that dubbed itself "Mr. Clever". Although it was able to take over nearly half of the Doctor's mind, the Doctor retained the other half of it; with a small percentage of his mind unclaimed by either. The Doctor threatened to regenerate, stalling Mr. Clever. The two then decided to play a game of chess, while also attempting to lead their respective allies to victory in the physical world.
Mr. Clever was eventually defeated when the Doctor distracted it by claiming to have a way to avoid defeat in chess, tricking it into deactivating all other Cybermen in order to divert the necessary processing power to himself to calculate the Doctor's next move. With the processing power of all Cybermen temporarily in the Doctor's mind, the Doctor removed it from his brain with a modified hand pulse. Mr. Clever was then redistributed within the Cyberiad and was thought to be destroyed when Hedgewick's World was imploded by command of Emperor Ludens Nimrod Kendrick Cord Longstaff XLI.