The Incredible Life-Form

A strange experiment was taking place on the third planet of an isolated solar system. In all the Universe there was no parallel to—
To: The Director
From: Tone Seng Froot, Investigator for galaxies of 9th Sector.
Subject: Unique characteristic of life-form suggesting urgent action to rescind life charter to Element 6.
Sir,
May I draw your attention to an explosive potential in your early experimental series? This exists in an obscure solar system of nine planets in a minor galaxy on the outer perimeter of my territory where I call only at extended intervals.
You will best recall the location in connection with the assignment of a Self-Awareness Charter to Element 6 in the chemical series—more specifically, the crystalline form of carbon , as it is called locally.
I have not troubled you with my earlier surveys, since nothing critical occurred in the first billion years, but I had better bring you up to date.
Of all 96 elements to which life has been separately assigned in various locations, carbon showed the greatest durability at the outset. The diamond, or crystalline form, in which self-awareness was vested in this particular solar system, could be predicted to make efficient use of light energy because of its index of refraction. Also, at lower temperatures, the diamond presents an extreme rigidity or hardness which resists abrasion.
Perhaps these factors account for the astonishing egotism which developed shortly after we activated self-awareness among them. Not that egotism, itself, is unique in the various elemental life-forms. You will recall, this inflated self-esteem has long proved to be a factor consistent with self-awareness in all matter.
In the diamond, egotism flared early in its intellectual growth and seemed to supply a creative drive unsurpassed in all galaxies under surveillance.
On the third planet, diamonds quickly learned psychokinetic manipulations and immediately began experimenting with chemical combinations of the other elements—all of which are, of course, inert and lifeless in this galaxy.