....~~:$$# #$$:~~....
.~«:*$##@# #@##$*:«~.
.~«:*$#@## ##@#$*:«~.
.~«:*$##@# #@##$*:«~.
.~«:*$##@# #@##$*:«~.
....~:***# 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 @@##$*:«~.
.....~:$$# THAT A SPECIES THAT ISN'T CURIOUS WILL #$$:~.....
.~«:*$##@@ NEVER FIND @@##$*:«~.
...~«::$$# #$$::«~...
.~«:*$#### BUT SOMETHING THAT A SPECIES THAT IS ####$*:«~.
.~«::::$$# CURIOUS IS BOUND (IN THE FEY SENSE) TO #$$::::«~.
...~««*$#@ EXPLORE @#$*««~...
.~«:*$##@# #@##$*:«~.
.~«:*$##@# THE KEYWORD HERE IS «SAFETY MARGIN««# - #@##$*:«~.
.~«:*$##@# IT WILL LOOK LIKE ANY OTHER FORCE, IT #@##$*:«~.
.~«:*$#@## WILL FIT IN THE PUZZLE, SAFE TO BEND - ##@#$*:«~.
.~«:*$##@# BUT IT WONT BE, AND THE SECOND THEY #@##$*:«~.
.~«:*$#@## TRY... ##@#$*:«~.
.~«:*$##@# #@##$*:«~.
.~:*$##@## AND SO.##«««««««T ##@##$*:~.
.~«:*$#### HEY LOOK AT US AND OUR PLANET AND THEY ####$*:«~.
.~«:*$##@# ~LAU~H~ #@##$*:«~.
...~:***$# ~~~AUSE WE'~RE NE~X~T... ###.##@«#:««~~~ #$***:~...
.~«:*$##@# ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #@##$*:«~.
.~«:*$##@# ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #@##$*:«~.
.~«:*$#### ~~~~~~~~~~#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ####$*:«~.
.~«::***#@ @#***::«~.
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.~«:*$##@# #@##$*:«~.
.~«:*$#### ####$*:«~.