.......^«= =«^.......
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....^«=†$# a#...««««««««...# #$†=«^....
...^«=†$## ####.«« fermi's paradox ««.#### ##$†=«^...
..^«=†$##@ #...««««««««...# @##$†=«^..
.^«=†$##@# #@##$†=«^.
..^«=†$##@ there's too little apparent life in the @##$†=«^..
...^«=†$## universe#...««««««««...# ##$†=«^...
....^«=†$# ####.«« omega point ««.#### #$†=«^....
.....^«=†$ #...««««««««...# 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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