[CAPT STARSPAN, resplendent in silvery jumpsuit, stands behind a stand covered in mikes. It's a press conference, although we never see the JOURNALISTS, who are all off screen]
JOURNALIST1: Welcome back from your latest mission, Captain Starspan. How did it feel to explore the uncharted vasts of the galaxy?
CAPT: Space is mental! Seriously.
J2: And, I understand your mission was to discover, and make peaceful contact with, as many different extra-terrestrial life-forms as possible. Was that a success?
CAPT: Totally. 100% a success scenario situation, yes. I met, oh, loads of different alien beings. Tons.
J3: And what were these aliens like?
CAPT: What weren't they like, more like! Every shape and size you can imagine.
J1: A seven-legged wasp?
CAPT: Ah, no, not that. But pretty much any other shape you can imagine.
J2: A helicopter lizard on wheels?
CAPT: Err, no obviously not that shape, that's ridiculous. But, you know, most of the others.
J1: Captain, can you give us an example?
CAPT: Erm, well, there were these really short ones.
J2: How short?
CAPT: Oooh, about the same size as a human dwarf. Yeah, pretty much exactly that height.
J3: Um, anything a little more unusual? Did you, for instance, come across any tiny alien species, around the size of a microbe?
CAPT: No, course not. And in any case, how would I have seen them? Think it through, son.
J2: Did the exhibit different skin pigmentation, Captain?
CAPT: Oh, what? Did they? Seriously, some of them were white and some them were black and...everything. Except, it totally looked like they were wearing coloured contact lenses and stuff.
J1: And how many limbs did they have?
CAPT: Limbs? Well, two legs, naturally, and your basic two arms...
J1: It sounds as though every species you encountered was remarkably similar in corporeal form to humanity, against all expectations, is that fair to say, Captain?
CAPT: No, not at all. There's this one species I met, and they had, like, big enormous foreheads and wrinkly brows. Totally alien, I couldn't believe it, I was pretty freaked out.
J2: They don't sound very alien.
CAPT: Aren't you listening? Big wrinkly foreheads. Like the Tefal man stuck on a crossword.
J3: And what was the society of this race like, were you able to build relationsips?
CAPT: Actually, yes. But they were sort of angry and obsessed by honour. Basically, they were like how you'd imagine medieval Japanese people were, if you'd never bothered to find out anything about them. Mad!
GENERAL: [Entering frame] Ladies and gentlemen of the press, that's just about al we have time for, the Captain is very tired after his trials. Just one last question, perhaps.
J1: What do you say to the allegations that the Chinese are working on a space xeno-reconnaissance programme, and might be about to send an astronaut up to break any allegiances we may have made?
GENERAL: Well, I won't lose too much sleep over that story.
J1: Do you think that the Chinese don't have the technological wherewithal, then?
CAPT: No, it's just all the aliens speak English! Seriously, of all the luck...