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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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