.^«†=%§¶##                                          ##¶§%=†«^.
.^«†=%%§¶@                                          @¶§%%=†«^.
.^«†=%§¶¶@                                          @¶¶§%=†«^.
.^«†††=%%§                                          §%%=†††«^.
.^«†=%§¶@#                                          #@¶§%=†«^.
.^«†=%§¶@@             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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.^«†=%§¶@@                                          @@¶§%=†«^.
..^«««†=§§                                          §§=†«««^..