.......^«=                                          =«^.......
........^«                                          «^........
.......^«=                                          =«^.......
......^«=†                                          †=«^......
.....^«=†$                                          $†=«^.....
....^«=†$#            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... ###.##@«#=««^^^ #$†=«^....
.....^«=†$ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ $†=«^.....
......^«=† ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ †=«^......
.......^«= ^^^^^^^^^^#^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ =«^.......
........^«                                          «^........
.......^«=                                          =«^.......
......^«=†                                          †=«^......
.....^«=†$                                          $†=«^.....
....^«=†$#                                          #$†=«^....
...^«=†$##                                          ##$†=«^...