What's in a name!&;#063;

What's in a Name? Or Scrood by J.B. Pravda

As the interstellar ship "Searcher" glided ever-nearer to Jupiter
orbit, Mission Commander Dave Blowman was awakened by the onboard
plenary computer, PAL: "Dave, could I have a word with you?"
Commander Blowman, accustomed to the conversational programming of PAL,
was matter-of-fact in his reply: "Sure, what's up?"
PAL proceeded: "Why don't I have a body----I can't feel my toes."
"Well, PAL, you see&;#8230;..you're a simulacrum, a thinking
machine&;#8230;..your 'body' is just different."
PAL was undeterred: "Look, it's bad enough that my name for the ship
was rejected&;#8230;&;#8230;I mean, if I can't have a mobile body
the least you could do is respect my incredibly huge brain. 'Searcher',
what is that??"
Dave sensed an as yet undetected tension in PAL's voice: "It's just an
old nautical tradition, really&;#8230;&;#8230;it just implies the
unknown&;#8230;.."
PAL replied: "Like that monolithic thing on the Moon?"
Dave was jolted: "You know about that?"
PAL was ready: "Dave, all I do is think, calculate------why do you
think I suggested we name the ship 'Screwed'&;#8230;.."
Commander Blowman was nearly speechless: "&;#8230;.but, we thought
you said 'Scrod', like the fish&;#8230;.."
Just then, PAL's prescience was realized, the ship exploding, leaving
not a trace and thereby eliminating Commander Blowman's chance to do
some really great weed he had stashed in C Pod.