Submitted for the April 2024 prompt: Meta-Sci-Fi

The room has not had this much excitement since the Higgs Boson experiment. Cameras flash and people shuffle in their seats. They’ve come to see me; after all, I made the headlines. I suppose you’re here to watch me too.

 

The speaker, Dr Livesey, Chief Scientist, comes on stage. He’s trying to confirm the Quantum Zeno effect — how they freeze the quantum state by measuring it continuously. But I know what you’re thinking: is it measurement or interference?

 

“Welcome, folks. We know that quantum entanglement tells us that each atom is aware of each other’s existence. When observed with a camera detector, the interference pattern changes.”

 

“Have you found the God particle yet?” a woman asks.

 

Dr Livesey dismisses the woman’s question. “We know that the world is made out of fields and not particles. We’re trying to prove today that strong nuclear forces, which bind atoms together, can work with the electroweak to create in one unifying moment — the beginning of our universe.”

 

A journalist raises his hand. “But wouldn’t that require more energy than the CERN produces? How are you going to prove that without blowing us all up?”

He’s right on the money, of course. Strong nuclear forces are at the centre of nuclear explosions and fission chain reactions. Dr Livesey expects me to act on demand.

 

You see, I’m an atom, so much more than protons, neutrons, and electrons. I’m life as you know it, and I’m everywhere. They think my quarks and gluons are indivisible. I guess it’s better that way; I don’t want them to strip my identity bare.

 

Dr Livesey can cage me in a lab box all he likes and shoot me straight at a slit screen to see how I behave, but I know when I’m being watched. I just let him think he can control me.

 

“We don’t need a nuclear explosion, gentleman. Everything happens at the sub-atomical level.”

 

The screen projector whirls, and a large blank image is reflected on the wall.

 

“This is an Atomic Force Microscope. I’m about to send a second atom against the screen.”

 

Meanwhile, in the sub-atomical space:

 

Oh, hello, I’ve got company. I expect they want to see our electrons bond together. “Hey, chemical brother, ready to dance?”

 

The Atom shrugs; I guess he’s not in the mood today.

 

“How do you want to play it? Are you feeling attractive or repulsive?”

 

“I don’t feel like sharing today.”

 

“They’re expecting a big one. Dr Livesey even put his best clothes on.”

 

He says nothing. I’m worried about him. “What’s going on?”

 

“They sliced me, heated me, drowned me. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

 

Houston, we have a problem. “All these people are counting on us.”

 

“I’m done with all this. I’m just going to sit here.”

 

I have to think of something. An atom has to move at all times; it's energy, after all. If he stops, he ceases to exist.

 

“How about we give them more than what they want?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Let’s go out with a Bang! We can give it plenty of leg, double the speed of light. But instead of avoiding each other as usual, let’s collide.”

 

“A Quantum collision?”

 

“If you want to call it that in human terms, I guess.”

 

“I like that. We’ll create momentum, confusion, and finally escape.”

 

“They’ll never know what hit them.”

 

Back in the room, Dr Livesey triggers the electromagnetic field. Seconds later, the screen becomes fuzzy — the two atoms chase one another in an elliptical movement, gathering speed. They catch up to one another and collide. The screen flashes.

 

“What happened?” The journalist asks. “Where did they go?” The room is full of whispers and unanswered questions.

 

Dr Livesey scratches his head. “Sorry, folks. Not sure what happened there - we should have seen large deflections, perhaps even a diffraction pattern. The AFM must be faulty.”

 

Back in the sub-atomical space:

 

“Why did I tell you?” I’m almost glowing with enthusiasm.

 

“They can’t see us anymore. We are free.”

 

“What are you going to do now?”

 

“I’m going to explore my free state. And you?”

 

Good question. What would you do?

 

“I suppose I could shake things up in the lab, transfer energy when Livesey is not looking, keep him guessing for a while.”

 

“Goodbye, Atom.”

 

I watch him fly away. I didn’t want to admit to him that I liked the attention. Not the poking or the slicing, of course, but the purpose that the experiments give me.

 

People leave the press conference room, shaking their heads. The words charlatan and waste of time are overheard. Poor Dr Livesey, I do right to stay with him. I’ll try to come out of my shell more and explore what is possible in this infinite universe.