[ WP ] Arthur C. Clarke said that `` Two possibilities exist : either we are alone in the universe or we are not . Both are equally terrifying . '' What he did n't know is that there is a third possibility ...

After about a century of deep space exploration that resulted in exactly zero evidence of alien life, mankind decided once and for all to settle the matter of Clarke's Conundrum. 
 
 Plus, they were all very tired of being terrified. And yet, the more they found no signs of extraterrestrial life, the more terrified they became. 
 
 
 Trillions of self-replicating lab bots were despatched to every corner of the galaxy. As tech improved on earth, trillions more were sent out. Every rock on every asteroid would have to be lifted. Every tiny crack on the floor of every icy ocean would have to be minutely examined. The task was promethean in its gargantuity but humanity's terror was growing with every barren result: it was fight or flight. They chose to fight. 
 
 
 After about a thousand centuries and with more than half the terrifyingly lifeless universe surveyed, human scientists discovered the principles of time travel. Finally, they thought, not only have we the present means to discover if we are alone or not, we can also ultimately determine if we were always alone or will forever be. 
 
 
 With renewed enthusiasm, humanity t-shifted countless neutrinic lab bots to the moment of origin. Every sub particle emanating from that colossal source would have to be tracked and evaluated. 
 
 
 Having eventually surveyed the known universe, humanity anxiously waited on the results of its t-experiment. Which proved to be negative. 
 
 
 But humans were n't ready to give into their terror. Wait, they said, we ca n't be sure we have n't affected it in some way. We must run it again! And so they did. Again and again. Until the universe grew old and thin. 
 
 
 Even entropic heat death proved no barrier, as simulcraic universes were created to run ever more complex t-studies of t-studies of t-studies of every branching universe. 
 
 
 Until... 
 
 
 Mankind came to understand the nature of its sisyphean quest and that Clarke's Conundrum was n't binary at all, but trinary. It would have to be re-written: 
 
 
 Three possibilities exist: we are alone in the universe or we are not or we will never know which.
