**=«-,,,,,                                          ,,,,,-«=**
*=«-,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,-«=*
=«-,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,-«=
«-,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,-«
-,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,-
,,,,,,,,,,            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... ###,##@«#=««--- ,,-«=**@#@
#@#@**=«-, ---------------------------------------- ,-«=**@#@#
@#@**=«-,, ---------------------------------------- ,,-«=**@#@
#@**=«-,,, ----------#----------------------------- ,,,-«=**@#
@**=«-,,,,                                          ,,,,-«=**@
**=«-,,,,,                                          ,,,,,-«=**
*=«-,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,-«=*
=«-,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,-«=
«-,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,-«
-,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,-