Arnav G_Sentience of the Atom_CC

Sentience of the Atom Atoms have a strange birth process. It happens in three stages: formation, the acquiring of electrons, sentience. The criteria for awakening sentience is unknown. It is said that the process requires electrons, but not all atoms with electrons end up Sentient. Only a rare few atoms gain sentience, and most of them originate from Stars. This leads to theories which predict that the star acts as a cocoon to develop atoms, and forges life within. I am one of the few atoms that gained sentience without leaving the star, born with a name in my mind without knowing how it came to be. Niyati. That’s my name. Living in the Crust of the stars isn’t worth it. The vast fields of dead Hydrogen and Helium atoms that create an ominous atmosphere. Occasionally, stellar convection currents create storms which rip atoms to shreds. We could see the nuclei of dead atoms remaining. It’s like a graveyard. The only reason I stayed is because I wished to enter the Stellar Winds. Stellar Winds is a company controlling atomic Buses. These buses collect atoms from stars and eject them towards the Galaxy. Considering we were on the edge of one of the spirals of the galaxy, it was our only means to travel closer to the center. During my time on the Crust, I met a few other sentient atoms who were there for similar reasons. A Lithium atom, named Eskalith, an Oxygen atom named Lox, and a Nitrogen atom named N. We formed a group and decided to work together to reach the Cosmic Stop and then go our separate ways. The Cosmic Stop is the intersection where most Stellar Wind Busses meet the Cosmic Wind Bus. The Cosmic Wind Bus travels throughout the Galaxy and is consistent but very slow. On the Crust, our group began floating through and traveling across the surface. I became closer and closer to our group, with Lox and N even deciding to bond with me once we left the star. Eskalith was unable to join us because he had a Quest. A Quest is a purpose, and every atom has a Quest. Some know it when they are born, others seek it for millennia. I believe that we gain sentience for a purpose, and we just don’t know it yet, but many think that some atoms have no quest. Quests are mystical because they guide an atom to rare events and phenomenon. They are a tug in a certain direction. An attraction towards building something new. Naturally, millions of atoms converge and create unique events and beauty in the Universe.