@*†^...... ......^†*@
¶&**†~.... ....~†**&¶
@&††~^.... ....^~††&@
@¶@@&*†~^. .^~†*&@@¶@
@@&&*~^... ...^~*&&@@
##@@&*†~^. 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... ###.##@~¶†~~^^^ .^~†*&@¶¶¶
#@¶@&*†~^. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .^~†*&@¶@#
@@*~...... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ......~*@@
@@¶@&*†~^. ^^^^^^^^^^#^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .^~†*&@¶@@
#@¶@&*†~^. .^~†*&@¶@#
@*†~~..... .....~~†*@
#@¶@&*†~^. .^~†*&@¶@#
@**†††^^^. .^^^†††**@
@@*~^..... .....^~*@@
@@¶@&*†~^. .^~†*&@¶@@