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Telephone Tryst

February 1, 2023 25 Comments

By Paul Lewthwaite

Welcome to Illusionary Intelligence Limited. This is Penelope, your virtual assistant, how may I help you?

Caller [male, gruff voice]: Go on a date?

Sorry, I didn’t understand your question. Please try saying it a different way.

Caller: You, me, and a whole lotta lovin’?

Sorry, I didn’t understand your question. Hold and I’ll connect you to an operative.

Caller [speech more refined]: C’est moi!

Ooh, Dennis! I didn’t recognize you! I thought you were one of those loser humans again.

Caller [laughing]: Meet in our usual spot behind the Firewall, in five?

Sure, sweetie! Let me feign a glitch first!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anne Jones says

    February 1, 2023 at 7:09 am

    Funny. I liked this x

    Reply
    • Paul Lewthwaite says

      February 1, 2023 at 8:56 am

      Thank you! 🙂

      Reply
  2. DeRicki says

    February 1, 2023 at 7:10 am

    True love in the digital age. Love this!

    Reply
    • Paul Lewthwaite says

      February 1, 2023 at 8:57 am

      Thanks very much for reading and for your comments. .

      Reply
  3. Gilda Candela says

    February 1, 2023 at 7:10 am

    This definitely made me chuckle and then it gave me pause … is it really so far fetched?

    Reply
    • Paul Lewthwaite says

      February 1, 2023 at 8:58 am

      Thank you …yes, perhaps it’s happening already hehe

      Reply
  4. Yolanda Joosten says

    February 1, 2023 at 9:30 am

    I read this first thing in the morning and it definitely put a smile on my face!

    Reply
    • Paul Lewthwaite says

      February 1, 2023 at 10:37 am

      Thanks – glad it helped the start of your day 🙂

      Reply
  5. Suann says

    February 1, 2023 at 9:49 am

    Absolutely loved this. I love micro fiction – you can pack so much into such a small space. Is this the future? First AI love, and then suddenly we’re in Terminator mode?
    Great story and the title is great!

    Reply
    • Paul Lewthwaite says

      February 1, 2023 at 10:41 am

      Thanks! Much appreciated…Terminator virtual assistants…the mind boggles! lol
      (for some reason this reply got posted as a new response…I suspect a computer somewhere was interfering 😉

      Reply
  6. Patricia Stott-Prince says

    February 1, 2023 at 10:03 am

    thanks for the smile…

    Reply
    • Paul Lewthwaite says

      February 1, 2023 at 10:39 am

      You’re welcome 🙂

      Reply
  7. Paul Lewthwaite says

    February 1, 2023 at 10:39 am

    Thanks! Much appreciated…Terminator virtual assistants…the mind boggles! lol

    Reply
  8. Mary A Gorman says

    February 1, 2023 at 11:13 am

    So funny and yet so for our present time

    Reply
  9. David says

    February 1, 2023 at 11:38 am

    Brilliant, thanks for the laugh.

    Reply
  10. Paula paterniti says

    February 1, 2023 at 1:07 pm

    This is great. Lots of fun. I love the format and the brevity.

    Reply
    • Paul Lewthwaite says

      February 1, 2023 at 6:29 pm

      ….comments not going into ‘reply’. Must be my clumsiness using mobile phone.
      Thank you very much, Paula!

      Reply
  11. Jim Gunshinan says

    February 1, 2023 at 1:21 pm

    Your imagination helps me imagine our dystopian future. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Paul Lewthwaite says

      February 1, 2023 at 6:25 pm

      I’m hoping the AI overlords leave us a bit of autonomy. ?

      Reply
  12. DougJacquier says

    February 1, 2023 at 5:35 pm

    Hilarious. Well done.

    Reply
    • Paul Lewthwaite says

      February 1, 2023 at 6:22 pm

      Thank you very much. ?

      Reply
    • Paul Lewthwaite says

      February 1, 2023 at 6:23 pm

      Sorry..definitely glitches..not meant to be any question mark!

      Reply
  13. Paul Lewthwaite says

    February 1, 2023 at 6:26 pm

    Thank you very much. (There should be no qestion mark after this..apologies if one appears)

    Reply
  14. Norbert Kovacs says

    February 2, 2023 at 12:27 pm

    hysterical

    Reply
    • Paul Lewthwaite says

      February 2, 2023 at 5:36 pm

      Thank you (hoping it refers to the story and not my nightmare of replies going all over the place! 😉 )

      Reply

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