They didn’t come with guns; they came with clipboards and "Cultural Preservation" badges. They were from the United Earth Directorate (UED), sent to ensure our off-grid lifestyle met "modern safety and psychological standards."
"It's for your own protection," the lead observer, a man named Henderson, said as he poked a sensor into our communal hydroponics bay. "We’ve noticed your nitrogen levels are slightly off-protocol. It could lead to cognitive drift in the children." people_are_meddling_in_our_affairs
That was the night the lights went out. Not just in the mess hall, but across the entire UED landing module. They didn’t come with guns; they came with