It had been a while since he had spoken to an audience as a leader, or even a prospective one. Since his prior attempts at control within the academy had fizzled to nothing, he hoped this new circumstance would yield more fruitful results.

"I will begin. This new place has unified us, the common goal now to simply survive. And yet, we must do more than this. Our worlds were those of great civilizations, of technology and structure and growth. We stand in a position to not only achieve and surpass what existed before, but to do so in ways that keep the big picture in mind. To create a society without war, one that understands that when strife exists, none can be safe."

He started making brief eye contact with those in the audience. This was the most sensitive part of his speech and it had to be flawless. "I have devoted my life to that cause, and though my initial methods were mistaken, my end goal of peace remains the same. I vow to protect this world, and guide it through these troubled times. I will push education among all, combine knowledge among us, and weigh all facts when acting with the future in mind. We will all create that future."

That eye contact shifted to a faraway look, somewhere in the distance. "Whatever that future holds stands on us, on what we do here and now. What we have is the opportunity to write the very fate of this world. The world, the old one, had always been a struggle to survive in. A world of war, of suffering...we now have the power to change that. And we must have a leader who understands that."

After a pause, he nodded. "I anticipate there will be questions. Speak them."