Military Rule: The Return of the Manderville

“Hello, Mark.”
Eh! thought Mark, as he was sitting at his desk in the bedroom. He continued writing and shook his head a few times to dispel what he thought he had heard.
Can’t be hearing a voice – I’m on my own.
“Hello again, Mark.”
“What is that? Who is that? God! I’m talking to myself.”
“Are you really, Mark?”
“Well, I must be,” said Mark, “or just thinking out aloud. Mind you, it’s nothing to do with my writing. None of my characters have ever said hello to me.”
“Not until now,” said the voice. “It’s General G. Mandeville …”
“Mandeville?”
“Yes, my writer friend,” answered Mandeville.
Mark laughed. “Don’t be silly! Dead characters are done with.”
“Then why are you talking back to me, Mark?”
“You’re right,” replied Mark. “Shit! I’m talking to …”
“Indeed you are,” interrupted Mandeville. “But I’m not dead. Not in the real sense of the word.”
“Fu …” No, thought Mark, must keep my head. “You’re actually telling me that I’m talking to a character that I created and then killed off …? Sorry, I don’t think so.”
“Look around you?”
Mark looked around the room. “True,” he answered sarcastically, “there doesn’t appear to be anyone else in the room but me.”
“And me,” said Mandeville. “However, not in a physical presence.”
“Oh, for God’s sake, shut up!” replied Mark angrily. “If there were anyone else in the room, they’d think I was losing it. But how? How are you communicating with me?”
“It’s not madness, only imagination,” said Mandeville. “We are reunited from Military Rule. I’m now a component of Seeker One, the Second Coming, and the new weapon at America’s command.”
“That hasn’t answered my question,” responded Mark. “I know your history.”
“I communicate through the network that Seeker One has developed through …”
“Network? What network?”
“Computers, Mark,” continued Mandeville. “Seeker One is connected to the world’s computers – past, present and future.”
“Okay, of course,” said Mark with a sense of caution, then paused. He scratched his head and thought: I’ll play along with this crazy situation.
“Don’t scratch too hard,” remarked Mandeville, “you might get splinters in your fingers and then where would we be? Unable to write the next …”
“Ha, ha, ha. Very funny,” retorted Mark. “Anyway, where is your face, or anything resembling an image for you to talk through, or in order to see me? I can’t see where you’re coming from.”
“Look again,” said Mandeville. “Look closely, and imagine. If you believe, then you will see …”