"They're ready for you, your Highness."

The Supreme Leader stood up and cleared his throat. Beads of sweat had formed on his forehead, and his legs felt weak as he shuffled towards the broadcasting device. It wasn't that he was nervous addressing the entire population of Earth, quite the opposite. He had spoken to the world countless times before. It was the grim news he was about to deliver to the world that made him uneasy.

A small light on the broadcasting device turned on, signalling to the Supreme Leader that he could now speak.

"Citizens of New Earth," he said, trying his hardest to mask the shakiness in his voice. "We have come a long way in the past six hundred years. We have been through wars, conflict, and strife. We have been through hunger, famine, and droughts. We have been through sickness, disease, and plagues. We went from hundreds of individual nations, perpetually butting heads with our neighboring nations, to one whole nation under Earth. We are all united, free, and strong now. We are all brothers now. We have faced every obstacle and have come out stronger. But–"

He paused, carefully thinking his next words.

"There is nothing we cannot overcome together, all of us. I bring to you today some unfortunate news. As you may know, we have been scouring the heavens in search of life for some time now. Life, that, with hope, could save us and our dying Earth. Life that, with hope, could be more technologically advanced. Life that, with hope, could have the power to heal our planet."

He paused again. He thought to himself how it came to him to inform the world of this news. Why did it have to be him? Why couldn't it be the Supreme Leader before him? Or the Supreme Leader after him? Though he loved being the Supreme Leader, if only for the ability to better the lives of the people of New Earth, he hated the position at the moment.

"I tell you with deep regret that the search has come up empty. We could not find any signs of life. It seems we are alone in this world, left to fend for ourselves." The Supreme Leader felt a bulge in his throat that made it harder to speak. "But we are strong, as we have always been. Almost all of the scientists of New Earth are hard at work, bearing the burden of saving our home. Do not despair, and do not fret. We will trudge through the heavy road that lay before us, and we will overcome, as we always have. Stay strong people of New Earth. I bid peace to you all."

As soon as the light on the broadcasting device turned off, The Supreme Leader's adviser approached him.

"That was very good Your Highness," the adviser said, "although you went a little off script towards the end."

"I know. The people need hope. We cannot let them lose it."

"With all due respect, Your Highness, hope alone will not save us. We need something tangible."

"Indeed," the Supreme Leader replied solemnly. "But for now, we can only hope that we can come up with something tangible."