.~-†*$§@@#                                          #@@§$*†-~.
.~-†*$§@##                                          ##@§$*†-~.
.~-†*$§@@@                                          @@@§$*†-~.
...~---*§@                                          @§*---~...
.~-†**$$$@                                          @$$$**†-~.
.....-†**§            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 @§*†--....
.~-†*$§@@@                 ~LAU~H~                  @@@§$*†-~.
.~-†*$§@@@ ~~~AUSE WE'~RE NE~X~T... ###.##@-@†--~~~ @@@§$*†-~.
.~-†*$§@@# ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #@@§$*†-~.
....~††*§@ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @§*††~....
.~-†*$§@@@ ~~~~~~~~~~#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @@@§$*†-~.
.~-†*$§@##                                          ##@§$*†-~.
.~-†*$§@@#                                          #@@§$*†-~.
.~-†*$§@@#                                          #@@§$*†-~.
....~-*$@@                                          @@$*-~....
.~-†*$§@@@                                          @@@§$*†-~.
.~-†*$§@@#                                          #@@§$*†-~.