Zixos XXII started with an idea about the fellowship having to go through some kind of medical test before being allowed to visit a planet. Something on the lines of Ellis Island, where immigrants to America were forced to undergo some quite rigorous testing in the 19th and early 20th century. The segregation, on the other hand, definitely draws comparison with people being sent to concentration camps. One way or another I wanted to give the impression of something quite fearful happening in this place.

Essentially, though, the story was meant to show Chrístõ and Chrístõ Mian fighting together, despite Chrístõ’s supposed pacifism. Here, he has no choice but to pick up a gun and shoot to kill, and he has to seriously question his pacifism as well as come to terms with his father’s ability to kill without compunction.

But there is a twist. The guards they kill turn out to be cyborgs, created by the murder of innocent people taken randomly as they were. They aren’t really alive, so killing them is all right. It’s a slightly dubious morality, perhaps. But it helps to salve Chrístõ’s conscience, and Romana’s, after she had been responsible for the collapse of all of the guards using an EMP to fry their processors.

Incidentally, I really must make this the last time and EMP is used to resolve an issue for a while. I did it in New Lords of Time to deal with cyborg invaders of Earth, and in Sarah Jane Adventures to stop androids. It needs a rest as a plot device, now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellis_island