.&...&.... .&...&.&.&
&&&..&&... &&&..&&&&&
...&.&.&.. ...&.&....
...&&&&&&. &..&&&&...
...&.....& .&.&...&..
...&&....& 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... ###.###=@†==--- ..&.&&&&..
&.&.&&&... ---------------------------------------- ..&&&...&.
&&&&&..&.. ---------------------------------------- ..&..&..&&
.....&.&&. ----------#----------------------------- &.&&.&&.&.
.....&&&.& .&&.&&.&&&
&....&..&& .&.&&.&&..
&&...&&.&. &&&&.&&.&.
&.&..&.&&& &...&&.&&&
.&&&.&&&.. .&..&.&&..
.&..&&..&. .&&.&&&.&.