&,&&&,&&&,                                          ,&&&,&,,&,
&&&,,&&,,&                                          ,&,,&&&,&&
,,,&,&,&,&                                          ,&&,&,,&&,
,,,&&&&&&&                                          ,&,&&&,&,&
&,,&,,,,,,                                          ,&&&,,&&&&
,&,&&,,,,,            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... ###,###~#†~~--- ,,,&,&&&&&
&,&,&,,,&, ---------------------------------------- ,,,&&&,,,,
&&&&&&,,&& ---------------------------------------- ,,,&,,&,,,
&,,,,,&,&, ----------#----------------------------- &,,&&,&&,,
&&,,,,&&&&                                          &&,&,&&,&,
&,&,,,&,,,                                          ,,&&&&,&&&
,&&&,,&&,,                                          ,,&,,,&&,,
,&,,&,&,&,                                          &,&&,,&,&,
,&&,&&&&&&                                          ,&&,&,&&&&
&&,&&,,,,,                                          ,&,&&&&,,,