......,===                                          ===,......
.....,===*                                          *===,.....
....,===*§                                          §*===,....
...,===*§#                                          #§*===,...
..,===*§#@                                          @#§*===,..
.,===*§#@#             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... ###.##@=#===,,, ==,.......
........,= ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, =,........
.......,== ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ==,.......
......,=== ,,,,,,,,,,#,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ===,......
.....,===*                                          *===,.....
....,===*§                                          §*===,....
...,===*§#                                          #§*===,...
..,===*§#@                                          @#§*===,..
.,===*§#@#                                          #@#§*===,.
..,===*§#@                                          @#§*===,..