.....^~==*                                          *==~^.....
....^~==*&                                          &*==~^....
...^~==*&#                                          #&*==~^...
..^~==*&##                                          ##&*==~^..
.^~==*&###                                          ###&*==~^.
..^~==*&##            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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.......^~=                                          =~^.......
......^~==                                          ==~^......
.....^~==*                                          *==~^.....