Vampyres was the second Theta Sigma story I wrote, after Elizabeth, because the idea had already been set up that Chrístõ would meet the woman he loved when she was a young girl trapped on a ship full of Vampyres. That sequence from the Ninth Doctor’s point of view was written first and then the full story from Chrístõ’s viewpoint. I had intended for Julia to be his first companion. But then I wrote the second story, Like a Rolling Stone and decided to make Cassie and Terry regular companions, then added in Bo, who became Chrístõ’s first love interest after his failed romance with Elizabeth Garrett. I had enough material with all of those characters for a complete series of stories before even thinking of introducing Julia. There had been hints all through, of course, that he WOULD meet the woman he was destined to marry, but not where or when.

Finally, the time was right to introduce Julia as a character. The story needed a small amount of revision. Mostly I had to take out some references that made it seem as if Chrístõ was much less experienced with his TARDIS and with life generally, since he had done a lot of growing up. Also, Humphrey had become a crew member by then and he had to be referenced. There also had to be a reason why they were running around the ship rather than using the remote control to summon the TARDIS. It had broken down. After this I don’t use that device any more. I felt it was getting TOO easy and apart from the time when The Doctor attracted the TARDIS to Donna’s Huon particles in the Runaway Bride, remote activation has never been a feature of the TARDIS in the series. From now on now easy get outs for Chrístõ.

An eleven year old girl and a Time Lord of 192 alone in a TARDIS together. There would be questions asked. I originally intended that Chrístõ would take her straight to Beta Delta IV to her relatives there and would keep in contact with her by videophone and occasional visits. But then I decided she WOULD be a regular companion as long as I could quickly introduce somebody who might provide a suitable chaperone. There are a half a dozen stories in which they DO travel alone, but in most of them there is somebody else around at their destination to make things proper and above board.

The Vampyres, of course, were first introduced in Vampyres of Tara, one of the earliest Unfinished Business stories, when The Doctor KNOWS that his blood kills them. THIS is how he came to know that. In all, I have written three stories featuring the first alien nastiness I ever created, Vampyres of Tara, this story, Vampyres, and The Flydale Ghost, a Ten story which has them in 1940s Yorkshire.

The SS Aldous Huxley, of course, is the first of many space ships named after science fiction writers, while the hospital ships are named after famous female doctors. At least three of the science fiction ships come to bad ends, though. The SS Ray Bradbury blows up a few stories on from this one. The Starship Robert J. Sawyer has its entire crew and passengers massacred by pirates in the Unfinished Business story, Tammy. Finally, in the Ten story Space Cruise to Peril the SS Douglas Adams actually comes out of the crisis intact.

http://www.pearsecom.co.uk/doctorwho/05vampyres.htm
http://www.pearsecom.co.uk/Ten/32flydaleghost.htm

http://www.pearsecom.co.uk/thetasigma/42Natalie.htm
http://www.pearsecom.co.uk/doctorwho/69tammy.htm
http://www.pearsecom.co.uk/Ten/59spacecrise.htm