.....:~/$$                                          $$/~:.....
......:~/$                                          $/~:......
.......:~/                                          /~:.......
......:~/$                                          $/~:......
.....:~/$$                                          $$/~:.....
....:~/$$§             A#...~~~~~~~~...#            §$$/~:....
...:~/$$§@     ####.~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~.####      @§$$/~:...
..:~/$$§@#             #...~~~~~~~~...#             #@§$$/~:..
.:~/$$§@##                                          ##@§$$/~:.
..:~/$$§@# THERE'S  TOO LITTLE APPARENT LIFE IN THE #@§$$/~:..
...:~/$$§@         UNIVERSE#...~~~~~~~~...#         @§$$/~:...
....:~/$$§        ####.~~ OMEGA POINT ~~.####       §$$/~:....
.....:~/$$        #...~~~~~~~~...# IT'§§§§@-A       $$/~:.....
......:~/$                                          $/~:......
.......:~/                  THER##                  /~:.......
......:~/$   #...~~~~~~~~THERE'S PROBABLY A POINT   $/~:......
.....:~/$$ (THEY TELL ME SO;  THE  ONES I TALK  TO, $$/~:.....
....:~/$$§ THE  ONES  UNTOUCHED   BY   OUR   MORTAL §$$/~:....
...:~/$$§@                EMPTINESS)                @§$$/~:...
..:~/$$§@#                                          #@§$$/~:..
.:~/$$§@## THERE'S  PROBABLY  A POINT WHERE  WE TRY ##@§$$/~:.
..:~/$$§@# TOO MUCH. THE FEY  ARE  CURIOUS LIKE US, #@§$$/~:..
...:~/$$§@ OR MOR§@$@$  A "KILLER FACT",  SOMETHING @§$$/~:...
....:~/$$§ THAT  A SPECIES THAT ISN'T  CURIOUS WILL §$$/~:....
.....:~/$$                NEVER FIND                $$/~:.....
......:~/$                                          $/~:......
.......:~/ BUT  SOMETHING THAT  A SPECIES  THAT  IS /~:.......
......:~/$ CURIOUS IS  BOUND (IN  THE FEY SENSE) TO $/~:......
.....:~/$$                 EXPLORE                  $$/~:.....
....:~/$$§                                          §$$/~:....
...:~/$$§@ THE  KEYWORD HERE IS ~SAFETY MARGIN~~# - @§$$/~:...
..:~/$$§@# IT WILL  LOOK  LIKE ANY OTHER  FORCE, IT #@§$$/~:..
.:~/$$§@## WILL  FIT IN  THE PUZZLE, SAFE TO BEND - ##@§$$/~:.
..:~/$$§@# BUT  IT  WONT  BE, AND THE  SECOND  THEY #@§$$/~:..
...:~/$$§@                  TRY...                  @§$$/~:...
....:~/$$§                                          §$$/~:....
.....:~/$$             AND SO.##~~~~~~~T            $$/~:.....
......:~/$ HEY LOOK  AT US AND OUR PLANET  AND THEY $/~:......
.......:~/                  :LAU:H:                 /~:.......
......:~/$ :::AUSE WE':RE NE:X:T... ###.###~@/~~::: $/~:......
.....:~/$$ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: $$/~:.....
....:~/$$§ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: §$$/~:....
...:~/$$§@ ::::::::::#::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: @§$$/~:...
..:~/$$§@#                                          #@§$$/~:..
.:~/$$§@##                                          ##@§$$/~:.
..:~/$$§@#                                          #@§$$/~:..
...:~/$$§@                                          @§$$/~:...
....:~/$$§                                          §$$/~:....
.....:~/$$                                          $$/~:.....