False Memories was largely inspired by the Torchwood episode ‘Adam’ in which the Torchwood team were all given implanted memories that made them think they had known the character called Adam for nearly three years as one of their colleagues. It was a very well written idea that begged to be explored in different ways.

I also wanted to expand a bit more on Savang’s character. It had already been established that she was sent insane by the Untempered Schism and that she had a grudge against the Oldblood Houses, especially de Lœngbærrow. But it wasn’t really explained why. Also, I had in mind presenting her point of view, as a person who was mentally wounded by the Schism and then forgotten by Gallifreyan society. She is a character deserving of sympathy in many ways. Only her actions condemn her.

I also wanted one of her driving ambitions to be love. A twisted, destructive kind of love, but love nonetheless.

The story opened, therefore, with Savang as Chrístõ’s comfort as he wakes from a recurring nightmare about Julia and her family being murdered by the Mallus. He calls Savang his saviour and remembers her rescuing him from the burning building, and their flight from Beta Delta IV as the Mallus pursue him.

After she soothes him to sleep, I do give the game away when I show her giving him nightmares. At that point the readers who had been following Chrístõ and Julia for over a year now had to be let in on the secret – Julia isn’t dead. It’s Savang’s false memories. Of course, the title was a slight giveaway, but all the same, those people I sent the first draft to for testing found it extremely harrowing at the start.

One of the big problems was how to resolve the story. I had an idea very early on about Chrístõ’s oldest Chrysalids being on the case and coming to his rescue. But having set them on the spaceship heading for Earth that made that unlikely. Then it occurred to me that Penne has not been in the stories much since the beginning of Chrístõ’s exile. So the flagship of Adano-Ambrado, named here for the first time as the Ruby of Adano, brings the SS Aldous Huxley to a stop and the Guardia Real come in search of the Crown Prince of Adano-Ambrado. The stand off with Savang using Chrístõ as a body shield and his confusion about who the enemy is came together at that point.

A story that challenged the reader, especially the die-hard fans.