deinonychus_1 | Ficlet: Underestimated

Title: Underestimated
Author: Athene
Fandom: Primeval
Pairing/characters: Connor, Burton
Rating: PG
Warnings: mild language
Spoilers: Series 4, specifically 4.1 and 4.3.
Disclaimer: Not mine. ITV and Impossible Pictures own them.
Word count: approx 685
Summary: Philip Burton wasn’t the first, and he probably wouldn’t be the last person to underestimate him.

“I underestimated you, Connor.”

Philip’s words still echoed in Connor’s mind long after the man had left the building. Connor inwardly cringed at the way he had smiled and nodded and accepted it, too afraid that he was going to be fired (again) to say anything else. Besides, it wasn’t like it was unfamiliar territory for Connor. Philip Burton wasn’t the first, and he probably wouldn’t be the last person to underestimate him. Hell, Philip was nothing more than the latest in a long line of people who overlooked him as nothing more than an overly exuberant geek.

That might have been true three years ago, but it sure as hell wasn’t the case now.

Connor headed back to his locker, making sure there was no one else around before he dug out his latest ‘project’, and took it to the storage room where he’d been working in the quiet periods. He didn’t have an office, or even his own bloody computer any more. Damn near every piece of anomaly related technology that they had was down to him, and him alone, and yet the bastards couldn’t even see fit to give him anywhere decent to work now he was back.

The irony was it actually suited Connor’s purposes that he was out of the way where no one else bothered to go. Where there was a place that he could hide from the ever present security cameras and work in privacy.

Still, he couldn’t deny it hurt. Still being thought of as the geek, the idiot, an ‘amateur’, good for nothing but techie work. Still being underestimated, despite everything he had achieved. Had they not noticed the part where he had survived for a year in the bloody Cretaceous, for god’s sake!

It was times like this when he missed Cutter the most. Not just the man himself, although Connor knew that he did miss Cutter in that way even now, over a year after his death. But it was more for the simple fact that Cutter was probably the only person who had ever actually given him credit for his achievements, who had openly acknowledged his abilities, encouraged him, and believed in him.

That was at least part of the reason why he was so determined to continue Cutter’s work. Cutter had passed the responsibility on to him, and Connor did not intend to disappoint the only person who had ever truly believed he could do it. This wasn’t about proving himself any more. He was sick and tired of having to prove himself over and over. This was about Cutter’s memory, and finishing the work that Cutter had cared so passionately about. Chasing dinosaurs around and saving lives was fun, but that was just the most obvious aspect of their work. The real goal had always been to understand and, if possible, predict and control the anomalies. Whether the others realised it or not, Connor’s priority now was about fulfilling Cutter’s ambition. He was sick of being trodden on, mocked, or simply ignored and overlooked. In doing this, it felt like he was finally taking control of his own destiny.

Connor focussed his attention on the anomaly opening device. Of course he had lost the one that had enabled them to get home, but everyone else seemed to have forgotten about the other device, the one that had died on them less than an hour after they used it to chase Helen into the past. All it needed was a new power source and then there was no reason why it shouldn’t give up all its secrets to him. If he could get this to work, he might be able to use it to retro-engineer the computer they had found in the future ARC, perhaps even rebuild the artefact. And if he could do that, then he would be able to predict anomalies, and more importantly, open and close any anomaly at will. He, Connor Temple, would have complete control of one of the most dangerous and powerful discoveries in the world.

He’d like to see the bastards underestimate him then.