Free Perfect Flaw by Robin Blankenship Page B

by his district’s new Squad Leader. It was the first time they met in the field. He had of course been informed of the “replacement” of Thomas, thanks to his report, but his successor had not yet been officially presented.
    “Good morning, Inspector. How can we be of service?”
    “There’s an animal over there. I’ll show you. It’s a bird, and it’s dying, or maybe already dead. This should not be difficult.”
    “A bird.” The Leader’s face had abject horror written all over it. “An animal, in our city. How disgusting. We’ll deal with this, Inspector. Give us a moment and this district will no longer be soiled.”
    Ross was satisfied to see the men carry out their duties flawlessly. As they clambered back into their vehicle their Leader walked over to him.
    “Mission accomplished, Inspector. Is there anything else we can do?”
    “No, thanks. I’m sure we’ll have a long and fruitful professional relationship,” Ross said. “The City needs more men like you.”
    “Thank you, Inspector. I’m proud to live and work here. In a city built for man, and for man only. Freed of the presence of lower life-forms. Unsoiled by vegetation. This is where we belong, where we can live without fear of infection. Where no cracks in the concrete are overlooked, and each sign of wear or tear is spotted, reported and repaired. A City of bricks and mortar, a landscape of unspoiled concrete, without a strip of the colour green to be seen. It’s a dream come true, and we’ll do whatever is in our power to keep that dream going.”
    “I’m glad to see you’re a firm supporter of the City Council’s views,” Ross commended him. “It will be a pleasure to work with you.”
    “I will never fail you or the City,” the Squad Leader assured him. “I believe we will see each other regularly. The City Council has issued this new directive, as I’m sure you know.”
    “Yes. It’s part of their programme to raise the security measures in the City. They learned their lessons from the recent upheavals. Of course I’m fully behind them.”
    “So am I, Inspector. Goodbye.”
    The City Council had indeed decided to reschedule and intensify all security measures. He was glad that the Cleaning Squads had been given new responsibilities. Especially with a Squad Leader like this new guy in his district, things would move in the right direction. The Units that sprayed all the City’s streets and squares with disinfectant every fortnight had been disbanded, and their personnel added to the various Cleaning Squads active all over town. From now on the enhanced Squads would spray the City twice a week, so as to make sure not even the tiniest life-forms, including those too small for the eye to see, would stand a chance at surviving in the City.
    This City was built for man, and for man only, Ross thought. We’ll do everything we can to ensure our survival. There would be zero tolerance for any other life-forms that might threaten the City’s security, and for any citizen not fully in line with the City Council’s doctrine. Too much was at stake. No crack in the concrete would be overlooked, as the official slogan had it.
    One of the following days he ran into the Squad Leader as his men were spraying the streets.
    “Good afternoon, Inspector,” the man greeted him. “You should forgive me for not having a complete Squad right now. A few of my men have been sent to prison and no replacements have been appointed yet. I’m sure we’ll be back in full force soon.”
    “Fine,” Ross said. “What was the problem?”
    “They questioned the City Council’s food policy,” he explained. “They complained they were getting unpalatable stuff, wondered in public what it was made of, and accused the Council of needlessly going to extremes regarding the food supplies. It goes without saying that such views cannot be tolerated from men directly involved with the City’s security. I’m happy to say they were removed from my