So, the late Ian M Banks wrote a number of books set in, and telling stories about, The Culture. The Culture is a post-scarcity utopian society, in which some of the citizens are humans, and some are AIs. Some of the AIs inhabit ships. Some of the AIs are smart on a level that human beings can't even comprehend. Some of those AIs inhabit Ships that are powerful on a level that human beings can't even comprehend.
The most powerful class of Culture ship is the General Systems Vehicle, which might be home to a few billion humans, and has enough power to build planets. Other ships are less powerful, but even the smallest ship from The Culture can pretty much wipe the floor with the entire military of an average planet.
And, of course, since a Mind takes a Ship on effectively as its own body, the Mind gets to name itself. And Minds usually have senses of humor, leading to ships named things like Just Read the Instructions, Funny, It Worked Last Time, What Are The Civilian Applications?, and I Blame My Mother.
When another culture complained that these effectively god-like beings really should have names with more gravitas, the next few Minds who got Ships started a fad of taking names like, Very Little Gravitas Indeed, Experiencing A Significant Gravitas Shortfall, and Gravitas ... Gravitas ... No, Don't Help Me, I'll Get It In A Moment.
So, I've been thinking -- if I were a Mind given a Ship, what would I name myself? I think I've decided on Hold My Beer And Watch This.
How about you?
Edited to Add
As I was reading everyone else's, I realized several things.
First: my friends are cool.
Second: more than a few of you have already considered this question.
Third: you can actually tell something about the sort of role that each of you would enjoy based on the names you choose -- whether you'd be an explorer, combat ship, an engineering craft, research, or whatever.
And Fourth: that I actually have multiple choices depending on what class of Ship I was.
GSV: Due To A Terrible Miscalculation of Scale
GCU assigned to diplomatic functions: A Gentleman Never Gives Unintentional Offense, but my friends would just call me Unintentional Offense
GOU: I'm Sorry If You Were Offended
ROU: Hold My Beer And Watch This
The most powerful class of Culture ship is the General Systems Vehicle, which might be home to a few billion humans, and has enough power to build planets. Other ships are less powerful, but even the smallest ship from The Culture can pretty much wipe the floor with the entire military of an average planet.
And, of course, since a Mind takes a Ship on effectively as its own body, the Mind gets to name itself. And Minds usually have senses of humor, leading to ships named things like Just Read the Instructions, Funny, It Worked Last Time, What Are The Civilian Applications?, and I Blame My Mother.
When another culture complained that these effectively god-like beings really should have names with more gravitas, the next few Minds who got Ships started a fad of taking names like, Very Little Gravitas Indeed, Experiencing A Significant Gravitas Shortfall, and Gravitas ... Gravitas ... No, Don't Help Me, I'll Get It In A Moment.
So, I've been thinking -- if I were a Mind given a Ship, what would I name myself? I think I've decided on Hold My Beer And Watch This.
How about you?
Edited to Add
As I was reading everyone else's, I realized several things.
First: my friends are cool.
Second: more than a few of you have already considered this question.
Third: you can actually tell something about the sort of role that each of you would enjoy based on the names you choose -- whether you'd be an explorer, combat ship, an engineering craft, research, or whatever.
And Fourth: that I actually have multiple choices depending on what class of Ship I was.
GSV: Due To A Terrible Miscalculation of Scale
GCU assigned to diplomatic functions: A Gentleman Never Gives Unintentional Offense, but my friends would just call me Unintentional Offense
GOU: I'm Sorry If You Were Offended
ROU: Hold My Beer And Watch This