Report

Do you have anything to report for your Earth Sector, Observer Gnorbis? The region known as UK I believe is your current area of investigation?

There are still a number of mysteries to untangle here, Controller. For example, Leader Burnham is the current political leader of Earth's UK region and he visited Ilkeston yesterday…

What is an Ilkeston?

It is the name they give to a certain town, Controller.

So, Observer Gnorbis, as political leader of the moment, this Burnham must have some important tasks to complete in Ilkeston, something you should know about, something of social and political importance.

Unfortunately not Controller, nothing of immediate social or political importance from what I can gather. It seems to be more performance than leadership.

Come now, Gnorbis, we sent you on those training years under the distinguished sociologist Professor Arday at the even more distinguished Cambridge University. Surely this equipped you with numerous social and therefore political insights sufficient to complement your role as an Earth Observer?

Unfortunately not, Controller. I have recently completed a report on the matter which explains a certain amount of confusion in my attempts to grasp sociological and political matters in my Observational Remit.

Oh… that in itself may be interesting Gnorbis. So Professor Arday is not likely to improve our somewhat lamentable understanding of why humans behave as they do?

Not at all. Controller. This may be why I cannot make much sense of Leader Burnham’s visit to Ilkeston. It is supposedly to do with listening, yet Leader Burnham has only poorly developed and highly selective modes of listening – in a political and sociological sense.

What is Leader Burnham listening to Gnorbis?

I do not know, Controller. His own voice mostly.

Oh. When is Leader Burnham due to be replaced?

Soon I hope, Controller. In his own way, Leader Burnham is as sociologically confusing as Professor Arday. It is all in my report, Controller.