Cyberdyne Systems
From Terminator Wiki
Cyberdyne Systems is the corporation that created Skynet.
Contents |
The Terminator
Cyberdyne is initially a benign manufacturing corporation in Sunnyvale, California. Its products are unknown, but from the equipment in its factory and its high tech-sounding name, it seems possible that Cyberdyne might have been some sort of smaller parts producer for larger manufactures of high tech equipment.
A T-800 Cyberdyne Systems Model 101 — a cyborg from the future, designed to kill humans — was crushed in one of the hydraulic presses in Cyberdyne's factory.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
After reverse engineering the Terminator's remains, Cyberdyne reverse engineers the recovered CPU from the destroyed cyborg and creates a powerful new microprocessor for weapons systems, becoming a major contractor for the US military.
Cyberdyne eventually develops Skynet, a network of supercomputers that employ artificial intelligence in order to replace human beings as commercial and military aircraft pilots, and for the control of other military systems, including nuclear missiles. The system went online on August 4, 1997. On August 29, 1997 ("Judgment Day"), Skynet became self aware. In a panic humans attempted to shut it down, and Skynet retaliated by launching a nuclear attack against Russia, knowing that the Russian counterattack would eliminate its enemies in the U.S, initiating an indeterminately long period of global warfare. The battle pitted humans against machines, which developed ever-increasing capabilities.
In an effort to prevent Judgment Day from occurring, Cyberdyne's headquarters was destroyed by a group of saboteurs — the film's main characters — in 1991: John Connor, future leader of the human resistance, his mother Sarah Connor, and a second T-800 series Terminator that traveled back in time, with Miles Dyson, Cyberdyne's lead researcher, assisting them in this endeavor.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Despite the destruction of Cyberdyne's headquarters, the timeline is only slightly altered: after the destruction of the company's headquarters, Cyberdyne Systems's patents were obtained by the U.S. Government, with another technological corporation Cyber Research Systems. Skynet continues to be developed by the company for SAC-NORAD, and ultimately, Judgment Day occurs, just at a later date than it would have originally.
Terminator Salvation
The movie reveals that Cyberdyne was still in existence as of 2003. In 2003, Serena Kogen gets Marcus Wright to sign a paper to donate his body to Project Angel, a project of the genetics division of Cyberdyne Systems. This leads to some of the key events in Terminator Salvation.
Later in the movie, one of the internet news pages that Marcus accesses from Skynet’s memory reveals that Cyberdyne was sold to the United States Airforce at some point in 2003. This is consistent with the USAF being revealed as the organization that finishes Skynet's development in T3. It should be noted that nowhere in T3 is it confirmed that Cyberdyne was destroyed. John Connor is only under the impression that it was.
Putting the threads together, it can be assumed that Cyberdyne continued its work on AI despite the loss of its corporate headquarters. Its work continued until 2003 at which point it was sold to the USAF and was either restructured into Cyber Research Systems or was under the administration of the Air Force's already existing CRS division. Cyber Research Systems then oversaw the final work on Skynet and Judgment Day occured in 2004, the year given for its occurrence in the official Terminator Salvation magazine.
T2 3-D: Battle Across Time
Universal Studios Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood have full size Cyberdyne Corporation lobbies for their ride T2 3-D: Battle Across Time where visitors are treated to a PR film by Cyberdyne extolling the virtues of the Skynet system and Cyberdyne's other "security" oriented innovations and are often harassed by an impatient company hostess.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Shortly after being hacked, John Henry was able to discern that his systems had been infiltrated by another AI based on the code used in his own creation. An analysis of the code revealed that the code was created by Cyberdyne Systems' R&D Specialist Miles Dyson before his death.
The fate of Cyberdyne in the series is not specified but it may have been operational through the Kaliba Group.
Notes
- In the original timeline, at some point after Judgment Day, Cyberdyne Systems, under the control of Skynet, creates the T-600, T-800 and T-1000 series of Terminators.
- In the modified timeline, prior to Judgment Day, humans at Cyber Research Systems create several different series of relatively primitive Terminators to replace U.S. soldiers in field combat.
- At some point after Judgment Day, Skynet-controlled machines create several more advanced series of Terminators, including the T-800 (although its models would include the Cyberdyne Systems Model 101, despite Cyberdyne Systems being destroyed), the T-850 (which is described in the third film as a T-800 upgrade) and the T-X, also known as the Terminatrix.
Trivia
- In a scene deleted from the end of The Terminator, it was revealed that the factory in which the final confrontation took place (and where the remains of the Terminator were left) was in fact that of Cyberdyne Systems.
- In the original script of The Terminator, Kyle Reese refers to the company as Cyber Dynamics.
- Cyberdyne, Inc is also the name of a real life Japanese company which manufactures robotic suits.[2]
Appearances
- The Terminator
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day
- T2 3-D: Battle Across Time
- Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (Mentioned only)
- Terminator Salvation
References
- ↑ Based upon the logo seen in the footnote that John Henry downloads after being hacked in "To the Lighthouse".
- ↑ | Robot Suit HAL®, Cyberdyne, Inc
