Disclaimer: Primeval and all its characters belong to someone else.
Set during Series 5 Episode 6- Realisation hits Philip- New Dawn will destroy the world. Philip locks himself in the lab to try a last minute attempt to stop it from happening.
This chapter ties in with Series 5 episode 4. I added the reference to the animals and Rex especially for the anonymous reviewer- thank you so much for your review! I really appreciate it.
Guilt!
The Three Times Philip left Connor to die…
Chapter Two- Beetle Incursion
Previously…"He trusted me, and I let him down! I nearly killed him! Matt was right, I didn't really care about him- just about what he could do for me". He paused and thought for a moment, remembering the first time he let Connor down and left him to die- New Dawn had been more important to Philip than the boy- he felt guilty and ashamed as he remembered what happened…
Philip thought back to the day Connor had his major breakthrough and created the first man-made anomaly….
*Flashback*
..….Even then, Connor had been unsure of himself, and as Philip stood in Connor's lab waiting to see the anomaly in action, Connor nervously said "It…it worked once- obviously this is still a prototype- there's bound to be a few glitches…false starts" He looked at Philip with those trusting, loyal puppy dog eyes, and it almost appeared to Philip that he was pleading for his approval. Philip decided that to keep Connor working and focussed, he would have to humour the boy and give him all the encouragement he so badly needed.
"Never apologise for your work" he said "You've earned your stripes. If this works, we'll be making history!" He found it irritating the way the boy was so incredibly nervous and unsure of himself. He just wanted him to be ready- they had to be ready when the time came. Connor fired up the anomaly and Philip was thrilled to see it working- he'd done it! They were on their way to creating New Dawn- Philip and Helen's dream!
Philip went into the adjoining room to talk to April in private on the telephone, and was only gone for a matter of minutes when he heard raised voices in Connor's lab. He walked slowly back into the room to hear Matt demand that Connor lock the anomaly. He was furious that Matt had used his position as Connor's team leader to insist he open the door to the lab- how dare he come barging in here with that victorian woman, and if that wasn't bad enough he'd also brought Connor's oh so clever little girlfriend with him to interfere with Philip's plans! As he entered, he noticed that Connor was definitely weakening under their disapproval.
'That girl has too much influence over Connor' Philip thought to himself 'April needs to work harder to keep him focussed and draw him away from her!' He remembered when Abby had been so upset about Philip's plans to have the creatures 'put down'. He'd only been trying to come up with a means to save money- his money! After all, they couldn't guarantee all the creatures could be sent back to their correct eras, and her pet- Rex, was it? That creature had nearly got him killed, and Connor had seemed more worried about Abby being in a 'bad mood' than saving his life! No, the girl was a liability and stopped Connor from concentrating. He must work on how to deal with that!
As he stepped further into the room, and went to stand by Connor's side, he stood as tall as he could and confronted Matt and the others. He had bought a share in the ARC when the government decided it should be in partnership with a private company, and as such he asserted all his authority in the face of their aggression, and said that this was the property of Prospero, and that they had no right coming into the room making demands. Connor was again desperately seeking their approval… telling them- no pleading with them- to see that he knew what he was doing. No wonder he had looked towards Philip for a mentor, these people didn't seem to realise what a truly brilliant brain this boy had! They just ridiculed him and made him feel he wasn't appreciated. Philip insisted they leave immediately, and to Philips surprise, Matt seemed to suddenly see sense and even apologised. Philip felt nothing but anger when he noticed how Connor's eyes followed that girl as she left the room, after glaring daggers at him.
He had to get back to the Power Station- April wanted him to look at the data they were receiving from Connor's prototype, but he was worried about leaving Connor there alone. He couldn't risk him weakening and closing the anomaly before he'd captured all the data. Philip decided to leave the guard with Connor, and after instructing the soldier not to let anyone in, he left Connor to his work and eagerly left to get back to the labs to monitor the computers and the readings that were coming through…..
*flashback end*
…..Philip shivered as he stood alone in the last room he would ever be in. Remembering April had made him wonder again what had happened to her. Although she hadn't come back to help him, he hoped she'd got out OK. She was the one person in all this mess he really did care about. Sure, he'd fallen for Helen's sweet talk, but he hadn't really had 'feelings' towards her- it was just business between them. He and April now- there was that 'spark' between them and the shared devotion to New Dawn….
As Philip remembered his next actions, he felt shame wash over him- he couldn't believe how he had treated Connor. He just wished he had done things differently- all he'd wanted to do was save the world's energy crisis, and OK, maybe receive kudos for doing so. Was that such a bad thing? He shook his head and groaned aloud as he remembered, forgetting for the moment about the voice continually repeating the words
" emergency…emergency…emergency…" and not even noticing the debris falling down all around him as in those last few moments of his life, he remembered all his wrong doings and wished with all his heart that things had been different…
*flashback*
Philip hurried back to the Power Station as fast as he could to check the readings. He was so excited that they were now so close to their goal. He checked the computers with April, and they watched the data pour in from the little anomaly in Connor's lab, smiling in triumph at each other.
Suddenly, the readings began to fluctuate and get weaker. Philip couldn't understand what had happened! He called Connor, but Connor seemed just to fob him off, and said he'd call back later. What was going on? Philip really hoped there wasn't anything wrong with the anomaly- they needed more time! He hoped Matt or Abby hadn't come back and interfered again. The data feed suddenly stopped coming through altogether. Philip and April looked at each other in horror.
"No!" he cried "April- quickly, check on the data at the ARC- see if anything's interfering with the anomaly"
April went to check, and came rushing back to Philip "Philip! There's a problem at the ARC! They've gone into lockdown!"
Philip immediately picked up his phone and called Connor. "What the hell is going on there?" he yelled angrily "Why have we lost the data feed to the anomaly?"
Connor's voice sounded worried as he told Philip that the ARC had gone into lockdown- there'd been a serious incursion of prehistoric beetles. Philip replied angrily that he knew that because the bio-scan had been triggered
"But" he shouted down the phone "that doesn't explain what's happened to the feed!" All he cared about was New Dawn! He actually felt more frustrated than angry, really. He needed that data or New Dawn wouldn't be ready. What was Connor playing at!
"Philip!" Connor replied, sounding really agitated now and a little out of control "We had to lock the anomaly. The guard you left here's been killed! Jess got bitten and she's in a really bad way…"
Philip wasn't really concerned about all this. "Connor, Connor" he said placatingly "I know things are difficult right now, but I really need you to unlock that anomaly..."
To Philip's utter amazement, Connor finally showed some back bone and snapped back at him... "Did you not hear what I just said!"
Philip was about to angrily reply, but Connor continued to speak, cutting him off mid sentence- telling him that the beetles had managed to tunnel their way out of the lab. Philip was dumbstruck! They'd burrowed their way through reinforced concrete! That was incredible- but still didn't alter the fact he wanted that data feed reopened NOW! Suddenly the phone in Philip's hand went dead. Had Connor actually dared to hang up on him! Philip turned furiously to April and told her the lockdown mustn't be lifted under any circumstances whatsoever without his say- so.
"Philip," April said "There's electricity problems in 80% of the ARC, now!" As her words sunk in, Philip was horrified. This could mean plague! He couldn't risk New Dawn. Nothing must stand in the way- not now- not ever! April looked deep into Philip's eyes, her blonde hair softly blowing in the breeze around her face- her 'nerd' disguise long since discarded. She looked truly beautiful to him and as their eyes locked, she said slowly, pointedly…
"There's one decisive way of dealing with the threat. What you're doing here- it's going to change the whole planet. If it comes to it, isn't that worth the sacrifice?"
As Philip digested her words, he realised she was right- there was only one solution! As he thought about her words and what he was about to do, his phone suddenly rang again- it was Connor again. Connor said that they needed to get Jess to hospital right away, obviously wanting Philip to lift the lockdown. He couldn't do that! He hardened his heart and without hesitation replied to Connor….
"I'm afraid that's impossible, we can't afford to breach the integrity of the ARC." As soon as the words left his mouth, that girl- the one Connor was far too interested in interrupted, and yelled at him that Jess could die! Philip was sorry about Jess, he really was, but he excused his actions by saying that if those creatures got out thousands could die. The clever annoying girl had cottoned on immediately to what he was saying and asked bluntly if he was just going to leave them there! Philip tried to explain…he really did! He knew the beetles would get through the outer wall within ten minutes. But there was a way- he told them- the only solution- the whole city was at risk, not just the life of one girl.
Connor sounded defeated and disappointed in Philip, as he quietly asked him to explain what it was. Philip had to make them see- understand! He had to activate the auto- destruct programme which had been built into the ARC's operating system, even though everything and everyone in it would be incinerated.
The shocked silence at the other end of the phone said it all. Why couldn't they see! It was for the greater good- it had to be done! He was sorry, but he had no other option. As he reached out towards the self destruct button, the phone rang once again.
"Connor…" said Philip
Connor practically begged Philip to wait- he had a plan! The trouble was, as Philip saw it, that he always had a plan and his plans weren't always successful! Connor pleaded with Philip to give him just one more minute. As if that would make a difference, Philip thought to himself. "All the homes, schools, hospitals- everywhere would be infected" he said sorrowfully to Connor
Connor interrupted him once again "If they get into New Dawn, you mean! Please, Philip. Just thirty seconds more"
Philip didn't bother to answer him and as the phone once more went dead, he pressed the red circle on the computer screen to activate the self destruct, and run the incineration programme. He stood there with April watching the computers, knowing that he'd left Connor and the rest of the ARC team to die. They didn't stand a chance. As he stood thinking, April suddenly announced…
"They did it! They destroyed the beetles!"
Philip hadn't been able to believe it! Connor had done it again! The boy really was a genius. Philip immediately got April to lift lockdown, relieved it hadn't ended badly after all, and he could get the rest of the data feed he needed…..
*flashback end*
The building around him shuddered and shook violently, and Philip shook his head, trying to clear it from that never ending robotic chant that seemed to echo deep down into his very being. He realised now, sorrowfully that at the time he hadn't even spared a thought about the guard he'd left with Connor- or even asked about how Jess was. He didn't even know if she died! He's been so focussed on New Dawn that his humanity had deserted him altogether. His actions had been so natural, so…right at the time- but now Philip knew in his heart, now that he was about to die, that it had been so wrong.
That had been the first time he'd left Connor Temple to die…
To Be Continued….
