«~........                                          ........~«
~.........                                          .........~
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........            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)                ..~«=%£&#@
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@#&£%=«~.. 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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