That's kinda what I'm thinking. The network would form
   automatically. It would network with the matter/energy it finds
   itself nearby. It snags positive/negative ions for energy and
   for its communication abilities, utilizing virtual photons (I
   don't like that phrase honestly - they're still real) - as
   primary carriers. Or visa-versa. Whatever provides better
   communication and whatever provides better energy... but I like
   the ideas of virtual photons + photons for communication just
   for the SPEED... electrons are natively kinda slow. It's the
   photon-passing (eat/throwup routine) that does the actual work.

   Anyway, the network would just exist. No CPU.

   How would the needs of the system be controlled?

   The environment. The network strives for balance and also
   towards complex systems without conflict in itself and
   consequently everything it's connected with, which would be
   anything the dust is sticking to.

   That includes being inhaled in the lungs, making homes in the
   blood-stream, brains of people, hearts, etc.

   Self-organizing systems would develop, each performing whatever
   task it seems fit depending on its environment.