So You Think You Can Tell
Michael Summers

A Tale of Discernment

Published by Michael Summers at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 Michael Summers


Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Download my fantastic new book, Fish Stocks Limited, a tale of fish, love and copious amounts of rum for free:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/142598

For Kindle users you can search for Fish Stocks Limited on Amazon, although this costs about a quid.

Check out my author profile on:
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MichaelSummers

Email me on:
fishstockslimited@hotmail.com

Chapter 1 - So You Think You Can Tell

Sid sat in a very small room in front of a very big world. The sun shone dimly through the net curtains that covered the only window, set in one wall of the dingy bedsit. It shone upon Sid, and upon Sid's laptop. He was lying on the bed, talking to his friends. Well, they were sort of friends anyway. He had never actually met half of them of course, but what did that mean? Nothing. Friendship could transcend such boundaries. He recognised someone who he could have a good chat with any day. There were many such people, all neatly set down in alphabetic order on his contacts list. 
“W00t,” Sid exclaimed inwardly. Tracy had just signed in. Tracy was one in a million, something special. Sid could spend hours, LOLing and ROFLMAOing over various bits of net trivia, sharing funny Tubes, twittering incessantly. He wished she had a web-cam but she said she couldn't be bothered with one. Fair dos, thought Sid. He had an imagination.
“A up Trace Wot U up2?” said Sid.
“O jst messin about,” came the reply. “Found a LOLworthy Tube of a snake eating a baby hippo. U wudn't believe it!!!”
“Send me the link,” said Sid.
“K,” came the reply. Sid watched it. He actually did laugh out loud.
“Wow tis sumthin else,” he said. The conversation carried on. Tracy could always make Sid laugh. They chatted for hours, just about this and that. Tracy really was a diamond, always full of the latest bits of cool stuff from the net. Sid was a little bit jealous of her ability to find stuff. It was almost as if as soon as it got posted she knew about it. He checked his contact list again to see who else was about.
“W00t,” Sid exclaimed inwardly. Rachel had just signed in. Rachel was one in a million, something special. Sid could spend hours, LOLing and ROFLMAOing over various bits of net trivia, sharing funny Tubes, twittering incessantly. He wished she had a web-cam but she said she couldn't be bothered with one. Fair dos, thought Sid. He had an imagination.
“A up Rachel Wot U up2?” said Sid.
“O jst messin about,” came the reply. “Found a LOLworthy Tube of a dwarf on a trampoline. U wudn't believe it!!!”
“Send me the link,” said Sid.
“K,” came the reply. Sid watched it. He actually did laugh out loud.
“Wow tis sumthin else,” he said. The conversation carried on. Rachel could always make Sid laugh. They chatted for hours, just about this and that. Rachel really was a diamond, always full of the latest bits of cool stuff from the net. Sid was a little bit jealous of her ability to find stuff. It was almost as if as soon as it got posted she knew about it. He checked his contact list again to see who else was about.
“W00t,” Sid exclaimed inwardly. Sharon had just signed in. Sharon was one in a million, something special. Sid could spend hours, LOLing and ROFLMAOing over various bits of net trivia, sharing funny Tubes, twittering incessantly. He wished she had a web-cam but she said she couldn't be bothered with one. Fair dos, thought Sid. He had an imagination.
“A up Shaz Wot U up2?” said Sid.
“O jst messin about,” came the reply. “Found a LOLworthy Tube of a bear up an electricity pylon. U wudn't believe it!!!”
“Send me the link,” said Sid.
“K,” came the reply. Sid watched it. He actually did laugh out loud.
“Wow tis sumthin else,” he said. The conversation carried on. Sharon could always make Sid laugh. They chatted for hours, just about this and that. Sharon really was a diamond, always full of the latest bits of cool stuff from the net. Sid was a little bit jealous of her ability to find stuff. It was almost as if as soon as it got posted she knew about it. He checked his contact list again to see who else was about.
“P00t,” Sid exclaimed inwardly. BOT578 had just signed in. These things were just faceless clones. Why did those sad geeks spend hours programming them? It was nothing special. Some people spent hours talking to them, trying to find the cracks in their code, tying them in loops. Those people seriously lacked an imagination; he could spot a bot a mile off. But just to prove it to himself he sent it an instant message.
“A up BOT578 wot U up2?”
“O jst messin about,” came the reply. “Found a LOLworthy Tube of a cat wearing sunglasses. U wudn't believe it!!!”
“Send me the link,” said Sid.
“K,” came the reply. Sid watched it. Despite himself he actually did laugh out loud.
“Meh tis ok I guess,” he said. These bots. Not idea what constitutes a normal conversation.

###

Chapter 2 - About The Author

About the Author:
A passionate writer, So You Think You Can Tell is my second short story on SmashWords. It is intended to create interest for my fantastic new novel of fish, love and copious amounts of rum, Fish Stocks Limited. You can download Fish Stocks Limited at the address below:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/142598

If you own a Kindle, Fish Stocks Limited is now on Amazon.

Although Fish Stocks Limited is only my third novel, I have considerable experience of writing as part of my university course. I also have received payment from Dailey Swan Publishing for a number of short stories to go in their anthology and had short stories published in MediaVirus magazine (as editors pick) and in The Absent Willow Review magazine.

For other books check out my author profile on:
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MichaelSummers

Did you like So You Think You Can Tell? Why not become an affiliate promotor? For this and any other questions, email me on:
fishstockslimited@hotmail.com