Vicki Pallister

Vicki was born on Earth. After her mother died, her father wanted to get away from Earth, and took a job on planet Astra in 2493. Before meeting the Doctor, Vicki and her father were on their way to their new life, when their ship crash landed on the planet Dido.

Character Description
Vicki was not the only survivor of the crash. Initially most had survived, but one night all but Vicki and Bennett mysteriously died. Until she met the Doctor, Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton, Vicki believed Bennett’s account of how the natives of Dido had killed her father and the rest of the passengers and crew.

Bennett could not walk, as far as Vicki was aware, and her study of medicine would have given her some knowledge, which would have allowed her to keep him comfortable while they waited for a rescue ship. She studied medicine 1 hour a week, and at the age of 10 she obtained a certificate in Medicine, Physics, Chemistry and other subjects.

Once Vicki learns the truth, and leaves Dido with the others, she is keen for adventure. Vicki is often bored with the travelling to their destinations, and the less adventurous moments of their lives. When the travellers are staying at a villa near Rome she quickly becomes bored, and disappointed that there is no adventure. Vicki’s innate sense of adventure is teamed with a sense of awe and wonder, and these never diminish during her travels with the Doctor. She is bursting with excitement when she first sees Nero, and the sight of Rome burning enthuses her. It is no doubt these characteristics which remind the Doctor of Susan, and Vicki certainly becomes a surrogate granddaughter.

Whether teasing, or merely undiplomatic, Vicki has a knack of saying the wrong thing to Barbara, despite their closeness. Firstly she says that Barabara must be “about a hundred and fifty years old” as she comes from 1963. Later, while on Vortis, Vicki says that aspirin tablets are old fashioned – until she sees some in the Doctor’s First Aid kit she had never heard of them. She also offends Barbara by responding to her statement that the main subjects taught at her school were the 3 R’s by asking if Barbara’s school was a nursery. Vicki also mentions that she didn’t know The Beatles played Classical music, and calls 1960’s New York ‘ancient’.

Vicki’s youth and spirit of adventure enable her to save the travellers from danger by inciting the Xeron rebels to action whilst at The Space Museum. Using her considerable analytical and technical skills, Vicki reprogrammes the Morok armory’s computer to allow the rebels access to it, enabling them to fight. But Vicki is not just skilled with computers and technology, she is also skilled at cutting hair.

Yet despite her bravado, Vicki is terrified of heights. When the travellers are escaping from the Mechanoid city, the Doctor has to blindfold her, and the travellers – with Steven Tayor’s assistance – have to lower her the 1,500 feet by rope.

It would appear that most of Vicki’s skills and knowledge, are based in science, but she also has some historical knowledge. When the travellers materialise on Earth during the Trojan War, she displays her knowledge of Greek heroes and the Trojan Horse. Whilst in Troy, Vicki calls herself Cressida and meets a young Trojan called Troilus. They fall in love, and Vicki leaves the Doctor to be with him. Centuries later their tale would be written as a play by William Shakespeare.

Quotes
Vicki: They killed all the crew. When we landed, we made contact here. Everyone on board was invited to a grand sort of meeting. I couldn’t go – I was ill, a fever or something. I stayed here that night. I remember waking up – a thunderstorm, I thought. But it was an explosion. Bennett – Bennett dragged himself back. I was ill for days. I didn’t know about it till later. I came round and found Bennett. He can’t walk. We just wait…

Vicki: Oh yes, I like the Doctor. It’s funny, but as soon as he walked in I felt you could trust him. But why does he wear those funny clothes and that long white hair?

The Rescue

Vicki: My first real sight of history.

The Romans

Vicki: Sitting here planning and dreaming of a revolution isn’t going to win your planet back.

The Space Museum

Vicki: Ancient New York…There were pictures of it in our history books, it was destroyed in the Dalek Invasion.

The Chase