assessed. You will be assessed on leadership qualities, intelligence, compassion, kindness... the most important things we need in a leader. Those scoring the highest, regardless of your beliefs or gender or age or superficial qualities, will have the responsibility to lead, and will make the choices of the collective. We are now entering a glorious and exciting age, everyone. An age of the Meritocracy!"

There was a smattering of applause, a large proportion of the people appeared uneasy and another large proportion appearing optimistic.
Suddenly, a young person from the front of the crowd poked their head above the sea of people.

"And why do you get to decide?"

Samuel's heart thudded. Sweat dripped on his forehead. Fist clenched. He thought of John, and what he made Samuel promise him before his death. The words rattled and scraped within his mind like a rusty knife. Don't let the people rid themselves of the best leader we've known.

Samuel had every intention of breaking that promise, in the name of a new and fair system. But now, with this petulant, ungrateful, naïve, and pretentious young person questioning why he got to decide? After a corrupt democracy had almost led the people to their demise? After Samuel and his leadership saved the people from certain death, this person had the audacity to question Samuel's leadership in the interim, which he wanted eventually to relinquish?

Samuel spotted Felix and Gwenta, his children in the crowd. They looked up at their father, waiting for his response, waiting for his usual cool and rational response. He smiled at them, and he calmed for a moment, separating his emotions as best he could from his next rebuttal.

"Because I, as current leader, have decided so. At our next election three years from now, or what we will call 'Assessments' going forward, our new leader will have the opportunity to change this policy slightly, although it cannot be changed entirely. Our assessments will filter out any signs of corruption, so governments like what we had before will never happen again."

The crowd muttered to themselves, looking up at their seemingly calm interim leader. Then, a woman stepped forward to the front of the crowd.

It was Ffion Oddisy.

"We are grateful for all that you have done. I think I can say that on behalf of all of us," she began, her son Cana clung to her leg. Samuel anxiously waited for the 'but'. "...But what the people need now more than ever is fairness and honesty. All of us will accept this responsibility of potential leadership. 'For the People', for those who sacrificed their lives for us to have a chance at a better one. In return, you must accept an immediate assessment rather than three years from now."

The crowd cheered. It was a cheer Samuel had expected for him when he first entered the stage. Fairness. Openness. It is what the people wanted after years of deceit from the former corrupt government. It was something him and Mayla perhaps overlooked. Samuel realized his grasp of the political throne appeared to everyone as power hungry in that moment.

Even though this was not the case in Samuel's mind, it made him angry the people thought of him as a potential dictator. He had their safety as his primary interest. It always had been. He was head of the Security Forces for Gods' sake. And now the people he protected were suspicious of him.

Samuel looked around the perimeter of the crowd. The military, completely under his control, was surrounding the people, armed with hunting swords and axes. They served him completely at the moment, the current man in power. At the snap of his fingers he could file the people into their homes, and him and Mayla could create the world they intended to create...

"Very well. We will hold an assessment tomorrow," Samuel said, to the gasp of the officers behind him, including Mayla, and to the confused celebration of the crowd.

Angry and frustrated, Samuel clung by a thread to the principles he held. A large part of him was happy someone would take his leadership role in his place after the Assessment. Among two hundred thousand people, surely there was someone else more suited for the role. Someone who wouldn't get so perturbed as he had, someone who had not yearned for admiration and praise. He felt weak. Unworthy.

Mayla rushed onto the stage, grabbing Samuel and his microphone away, wanting to take back the words he had said but unable to, pleading with him to revoke his statement. But it was too late. The satisfied crowd was now shuffling towards their new homes with the guidance of government members. Mayla wanted her new science-based policies to permeate the new planet, and now with Samuel almost certainly vacating his leadership role, her vision was slipping through her fingers like singeing sand.

**

Samuel and Mayla found themselves back on the flight deck of Nighthawk alone, which was now transformed into the governmental head quarters. They both had a glass of alcohol, seated in their command chairs across from one another, sipping solemnly and thoughtfully and tranquilly.

"That was stupid to agree to, you know. Whoever wins tomorrow will not be you. Will not lead like you can."

Samuel shrugged, a part of him looking forward to his retirement. "They'll be better. Hell, you'll probably win by the intelligence assessment alone."

Mayla scoffed at him. "The little rats have no idea they'd be in the dirt if it weren't for you."

Samuel raised his glass to his sister. "If it weren't for us," he slurred to her, smirking. "I proved up there that I am unfit to lead, Mayla. I was angry. I almost ordered our military to put dissenters in chains. I almost became the thing we escaped."

Mayla looked at Samuel, swirling her drink. "I overestimated them. I thought gratitude went a long way for us human beings. Apparently not. Apparently, they are more than happy to kick out the person they owe their lives to."

Samuel looked down thoughtfully. "Well," he said, taking a large drink from his glass. "We have one last night to do whatever we want. What would you like your king to do for you?" Samuel said jokingly.

Mayla leaned forward, her face now serious, with a list of demands repeating in her mind. "I want a research team. I want a research team with protections from whoever leads next. This planet, Samuel," She said, excitement swimming in her eyes, "It is remarkably like the First Planet of man, just much, much smaller. What are the chances of that? And it was completely hidden from us. How? I have a world to discover, that I have a right to learn about. Without you in control, I'm afraid you can't promise me this."

Samuel looked at his sister thoughtfully. He didn't see a harm in instituting a scientific group to discover secrets of the universe. He himself still was unbelieving of how the world came out of no where. Mysteries needed answers. And most importantly, these mysteries needed answers to ensure the people were safe. "Done. Whoever wins next, I promise to convey to them the importance of your work. I want Felix on your team, though. I think he's more like his aunt than his own father."

Mayla, still very uncertain, smiled and nodded and said, "Thank you, Samuel. For trying."

Samuel stood and put his hand on his sister's shoulder and her lab coat which somehow shone white within the black and red lights. "I'm going to check on my kids. Get some sleep before our big test tomorrow," He laughed to himself. "Goodnight, Mayla."

"Wait," Mayla said to him, another request rattling around in her mind. "This planet needs a name."

Samuel thought for a moment. He realized it was his last night as ruler, and the name of the planet may be his last contribution to the history of the people. "How about 'Gaiathal'."

Mayla smiled at him, and inscribed the new planet's name into her monitor, and into the history books. The history books of the new world. Perhaps the history books of the last of humanity.

**

The next morning, Mayla and a team of scientists developed the Election Assessment. It was an unbiased, valid, global score which would encompass an aggregated leadership score, and reveal a person worthy of guiding the people.
A person truly uncorruptible, moral, and intelligent.

According to Mayla.