..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........            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... ###.###«#/««,,, ££%/«,....
...,«/%££# ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, #££%/«,...
..,«/%££## ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ##££%/«,..
.,«/%££### ,,,,,,,,,,#,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ###££%/«,.
..,«/%££##                                          ##££%/«,..
...,«/%££#                                          #££%/«,...
....,«/%££                                          ££%/«,....
.....,«/%£                                          £%/«,.....
......,«/%                                          %/«,......
.......,«/                                          /«,.......