This is a similar but different Soul Transfer than the Crystallid.
What likely occurred is that the Particulate was created from an ancient race to be intelligent and be able to automatically target things easily, such as Ships or Energy mines.
However, the race it was from could probably control minds.
The Particulate Hole appears to have the ability to go into the minds of others and absorb and give back as many memories as they want.
Going into other minds actually stops the decaying process almost completely.
Particulate Holes can go into the minds of any creature with a brain.
Minor, potentially unseen note: It can take memories from one and give to another. Also, absorbing memories takes them from the mind, leaving empty blankness there. If you absorb enough [or the right parts] of someone's mind, they effectively die - Most efficiently, taking out language, movement, loved ones, thus making them effectively useless, or taking out all happy thoughts and many bad thoughts until the most suicidal thoughts are left, then they want to kill theirselves, or just absorbing everything so they just drop dead.
The CMC does not plan to test it with something without a "brain", like a Crystallid, or the Hydraxil Convergence.
Controllable minds
Some testing has shown that at 100,000 particulate, it can control one human at full-attention.
However, it can only control 2 humans at around 66% attention speed each.
# of particulate to control x humans at maximum attention speed = 50,000(x*(x+3)/2)
Range has been tested, and now the Particle Hole's maximum distance is known.
Range is in the above spoiler [controllable minds]
Can transfer through solid and liquid as if it is gas, same for plasma.
Soul transfer is not affected by range.
Humans can count as "more humans" if range is high enough. For the function above, Humans count as more humans based on this: 2^roundDOWNToNearest1(distance in AU)