"Mandate"

"Tell me again why I need this," Havey said, looking at the lock.

The salesman smiled toothily.

"The Gapstander 9000 includes a basic CitCard reader, full-spectrum auditory scanning --"

"No, I'm sure it --" Harvey squinted at the promotional holo. "'-- prevents the ingress of Commonwealth-uncertified personages.' But I'd never let in any anti-oligarchs in the first place."

The salesman's smile flattened. "It's a legal mandate. To prevent the spread of undesirable people and ideas. For everyone's good."

"That's stupid."

The lock's bolt shot out with a snap.

The salesman's smile was gone. "Perhaps you should consider a basic model."

Postscript: To listen to audio of this and other stories, please download Season One of the I Saw Lightning Fall podcast here.