Why haven’t we met aliens yet? It’s one of the most enduring and unsettling questions in science. With billions of stars in our galaxy and even more planets, the odds seem to favor life—maybe even intelligent life—elsewhere. And yet, here we are. Alone. Or at least, it seems that way.

This is the heart of what’s known as the Fermi Paradox, named after physicist Enrico Fermi, who once asked during a casual lunch conversation:

“Where is everybody?”

Fermi’s question cuts deep. If life is common, and if some of that life becomes intelligent and builds technology, shouldn’t we have seen signs by now? Radio signals, probes, or even visitors? Instead, we see nothing. The silence of the universe isn’t just eerie—it’s puzzling.

The Great Filter: Cosmic Survival of the Fittest

One potential explanation is what’s called the Great Filter—a theoretical barrier that prevents life from advancing beyond a certain point. It could be anything from the difficulty of life starting at all, to civilizations destroying themselves once they reach a certain level of technology. Some think there’s just one Great Filter. Others suspect there are many, like a gauntlet of extinction events and self-made disasters.

Which raises a terrifying question:
Is the Great Filter behind us—or ahead of us?

Slipshot’s Answer: Filters by Design

In the universe of The Slipshot Series, the answer is even darker—and more deliberate.

The fate of a civilization isn't left to chance. It's decided.

In Slipshot Vol 1.0, we learn that Earth is on the brink of destruction not because of war or natural disaster, but because of a decision—one made by the Commission of Engineer Class Citizens, a technocratic authority in the Griddish Realm. These Engineers oversee vast networks of worlds known as Vars, each tethered to Griddish via ancient structures called Slipshots.

The Commission uses predictive modeling and behavioral analysis to decide which civilizations survive and which are slated for deconstruction. Earth’s doom is based not on crimes committed, but on forecasts of its future. Humanity is flagged as a predatory species, and thus becomes a candidate for termination. The decision is cold, statistical, and final.

A Filter With Intent

Unlike the Great Filter in real-world theory, which is impersonal and accidental, Slipshot presents a filter with intention—an algorithmic judgment passed down from an elite ruling class. Civilizations don’t collapse randomly. They are filtered out as part of a larger design.

This raises moral and philosophical questions:

• Should a species be punished for what it might do?
• Can predictive ethics ever be fair?
• And who decides which traits are unacceptable?

In Slipshot, those questions are central. Characters like Opal Fremmity, a Mechanic Class Slave tasked with carrying out the Commission’s orders, begin to question the very foundation of this system. Others, like Matere Songgaard, oppose the Commission outright, calling its decisions corrupt and unjust. And still others—like Cythiria, whose role expands in later volumes—start to uncover the hidden truths behind these filters and the flawed data they’re based on.

The Silence of the Stars Reimagined

So what if we’re not alone in the universe?
What if we’re just not allowed to reach out?

In the world of Slipshot, the silence of the cosmos isn’t an accident—it’s enforced. Civilizations are monitored, evaluated, and erased before they can disrupt the greater order. The Great Filter isn’t a barrier we must cross. It’s a gate—and someone is standing in front of it.

Final Thought:

In our own universe, the Fermi Paradox remains unsolved. But in Slipshot, the answer is chillingly clear:
Civilizations don’t vanish. They’re filtered.
And unless something changes, Earth is next.

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