~.........                                          .........~
=~........                                          ........~=
==~.......                                          .......~==
£==~......                                          ......~==£
§£==~.....                                          .....~==£§
@§£==~....             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... ###.###=@===~~~ ..........
.......... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ..........
.......... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ..........
.......... ~~~~~~~~~~#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ..........
..........                                          ..........
~.........                                          .........~
=~........                                          ........~=
==~.......                                          .......~==
£==~......                                          ......~==£
§£==~.....                                          .....~==£§