The Best Of Both: Camp Cretaceous OC

The Queen's Court

Soyona Santos' jet was once again up in the air, on the way to a new destination. As Brooklynn concentrated, she wondered if this was what Soyona's life was like all the time. Just jumping from one country to another one day after another. She was already exhausted as it was.

But whatever the answer, she had a game to finish, here and now. Brooklynn raised her arm, her new prosthetic arm firmly attached and slid one of her black pieces across the board. Brooklynn looked up at Soyona, who sat on the opposite side of the jet, the chessboard between them. "Couldn't take me out in real life so you wanted to beat me in chess?" She asked teasingly.

Soyona didn't seem to care enough to answer, instead avoiding the question entirely. "You've lost of friends," she commented dryly.

"I don't need them to finish this," Brooklynn said as Soyona moved her own white piece, snatching one of hers from the board.

As she made another move, Soyona eyed the movement of her new arm. "I see your dexterity is improving". She moved her own piece. "How are you liking the prosthesis?" She asked.

Brooklynn looked down at the metal arm, taking an extra second will its fingers to move in a flexing motion. "It's definitely taking some getting used to, but I'm getting the hang of it. It is making my arm sore though. I think I'll take it off".

As she made to grab it with her other hand, Soyona's suddenly grabbed her metal arm, stopping her. "My uncle's limb would swell on flights if he removed his," she said forcefully.

Brooklynn stared at her, stunned for a moment, before she realised from the look in Soyona's eyes, refusing her advice wasn't an option. "Oh. I didn't know. Thanks".

Soyona took her hand off, looking satisfied. Then her phone rang and she picked up. "Yes?" She paused as she listened to whoever was on the other end. "We have the eggs and the DNA samples. We'll arrive in a few hours".

As she hung up, Brooklynn couldn't help her curiosity. "So we're really working with Biosyn?" She asked. Soyona didn't answer, choosing to continue the game instead. Taking that as a 'Yes', Brooklynn elaborated as she took her turn. "One of my... friends... had dealings with their CEO and he seemed... untrustworthy. How do you know they'll be a good partner?"

"Building strong relationships is like playing chess," Soyona said, moving her own piece closer into Brooklynn's line of defence. "The queen can't win alone, no matter how powerful she is. Each partner has a role to play, you have something they need, and they have something to offer you".

Brooklynn moved her own piece away from Soyona's. "What does Biosyn have to offer?"

"Unfettered access to every Dinosaur on Earth," Soyona answered. Her face showed little emotion, yet Brooklynn could sense just a hint of excitement hidden in her tone. "We'll get the chance to sell to buyers of all sorts, legitimate or otherwise. We share the profits with them, and they get to maintain their squeaky clean image".

"Seems like a lot they're giving away. They must want more out of this," Brooklynn said.

For a moment, Soyona looked at her with what she could have sworn was pride. "Your intuition serves you well. There is more to it". She moved yet another one of her pieces, and Brooklynn could feel her own defeat drawing close. "They are asking for your old friend, Max Lockwood". Brooklynn's metal would've crushed her chess piece of she hadn't put it down on the board a second earlier. "You remember that painting in my penthouse? It was my rendition of what that young man could be in a figurative sense, and it was why I was so interested in capturing him, to see if he truly lived up to that ferocity that I saw in him".

"And you're willing to give him up to Biosyn?" Brooklynn pressed.

"From what I've gathered, Biosyn believes they can do so much more with him, and I'm interested to see what comes of it," Soyona answered. "I would have preferred to have him with me, but, well, he is just one boy". She moved another piece and smirked. "Checkmate".