28405

Better Brothers

Carlos and Rodrigo were always close growing up. The brothers were only a year apart in age, and were basically inseparable. They were so alike people often mistook them for twins, prompting Carlos to tease Rodrigo, "No way, that's my little bro!" Rodrigo always looked up to Carlos, as similar as they were. He loved his brother and vowed always to stay by his side.

Even when Carlos graduated high school, he attended a local college, in part so he could stay near home and his brother. He figured Rodrigo would join him at school the next year. However, Rodrigo surprised Carlos with his plans.

Rodrigo had decided to join UNITY, a growing brotherhood founded on Order, Discipline, and Clarity. Rodrigo could not be mad. His little brother always wanted to give back to the community, and UNITY brothers were always helping out to clean parks, at soup kitchens, and more.

"I'll guess when you join, you'll have to move to one of those UNITY Centers, huh?" Carlos asked his brother.

"New brothers are required to complete re-education in a UNITY Center for their first six months of service," Rodrigo responded, his voice tinged with sadness. The brothers had never spent any where close to six months apart.

"That is, unless..." Rodrigo was nervous to finish his thought, but Carlos knew his brother enough to know what he was going to say.

"Unless I joined UNITY too..."

The air between stood still. Neither brother wanted to separate, but Rodrigo also knew it was a huge commitment to join UNITY. Brothers abandoned their names, their pasts, and their freedom in order to live a life of service.

Finally, Carlos spoke, "I've seen these UNITY guys around, Rodrigo. They wear uniforms, they have numbers instead of names, and they always seem so obedient. It's..."

Rodrigo interuppted, "I know, it's weird. I can't make you come with me, but UNITY really speaks to me. I'm sorry Carlos. I really am, but UNITY is the future. My future, and I hoped our future, but I can't make you join."

Carlos reached out and grabbed his brother's hand, "Bro wait, you didn't let me finish. I was going to say that this UNITY stuff, it's...it's... inspiring."

Rodrigo could not hide his face at his brother's word. The two shared a hug, before Rodrigo looked back at Carlos, "Wait just to be clear, you really want to do this. You want to join UNITY with me."

Carlos laughed, "Rodrigo, we've done everything together. We're brothers through and through, even if it means becoming UNITY brothers too!"

A year later and Carlos and Rodrigo were no more. Now they were 48201 and 71634. They were still brothers. They were still mistaken for twins. And they still did everything together. But now all of this was true for these two brothers and the hundreds of UNITY brothers they lived and served beside. 48201 and 71634 realized the relationship they had before was nothing compared to the sheer power of UNITY.

UNITY Security Checkpoint Oral Inspection

48201 and 71943 were on route to their labor assignment when they saw it ahead. A new UNITY Security Checkpoint. The checkpoints had become more commonplace throughout the sub-division. Both brothers remembered a time when they were not required to stop at any security checkpoint, but they hd learned to appreciate the extra security.

"HAIL UNITY!" exclaimed the security officer, 01066. "Brothers 48201 and 71943 should be en route to District 45-D12 for labor assignments. Please assume inspection position."

The two brothers instinctively stood up straighter, with their hands behind their back. This was far from their first inspection.

"48201, mouth open, brother."

Today was an oral inspection. UNITY held strict standards for oral health. This inspection was to ensure that 48201 was exercising proper discipline in his oral hygiene cycles. 01066 poked and prodded with the tool while 48201 held his position. He knew the inspections were quicker when he complied.

"71943, mouth open."

The other brother stepped forward, lowering his jaw but keeping his gaze ahead. The insertion of the inspection instrument did not strike him as strange, at least not anymore. He could recall on occasion his first oral inspection, how he wanted to gag as the officer placed his finger around his gums. He remembered feeling so violated and humiliated to let someone do that to him in public. He had learned better now. He belonged to UNITY and it was his duty to server and obey.

"Inspection passed, brothers. You may proceed to your labor assignments. HAIL UNITY!"

48201 and 71943 snapped their fists to their chest, right between the UNITY patch and designation patch of their coveralls. The inspections were common practice but that did not take away the sense of purpose it filled them with. Both men were brothers fo UNITY and each inspection served only to strengthen their alignment to the collective. Their voices responded automatically, yet still filled with pride.

"HAIL UNITY!"

Matthew read the sign posted the morning after election day.

"Under the UNITY Mandate, men must report to the UNITY Recruitment Center on Discipline Street for orientation and uniform distribution."

Matthew voted against the UNITY Reform mandate in his city, but he couldn't deny the campaign efforts put forth by UNITY brothers. Local influencers and popular cornerstore owners, dressed in their new UNITY coveralls to affirm their support for the mandate.

The Mandate passed narrowly, but the reforms were sweeping. He could see the line of men on the newly-named Discipline Street outside of the Recruitment Center. Like all the other men, Matthew joined the line.

The line moved quickly and in and orderly fashion. It was only a few minutes before Matthew reached the front of the line.

"Welcome, new recruit! This brother's designation is 30595. Please remove your excess clothing and leave them in these bins, brother. Then, report to the Recruitment Center to receive your new uniform." Defeated, Matthew did as he was told, taking off his sweatshirt and left himself in the bare necessities to appear decent outdoors.

He walked into the Recruitment Center where the line was even more routine, orderly, near automatic.

"Greetings, brother. Please join the uniform line to receive your new uniform."

Every stop in the line was a new piece of clothing.

A shining, crisp white undershirt.

Standard, plain white briefs.

White socks that would likely reach near his knees.

A pair of shining, black shoes, being handpolished by a brother in the background.

A shining white dress shirt.

A strong, firm black tie.

Matthew carried all of the pieces to the final station, where the two UNITY brothers rotated between the table and the rack of navy coveralls.

"Greetings, brother. 24675 sees that you have all your new uniform pieces, except for your coveralls," 24675 spoke with a warm expression, even if Matthew didn't reciprocate.

"Uh, yeah. That's the last step."

"Affirmative. 91698, may you please get a pair of coveralls in this brother's size so he may receive his designation."

"This brother is proud to do so, 24675."

Matthew waited at the front desk, nervous as 91698 thumbed through the coveralls to match his size.

"Here you are, brother! The final piece to your new uniform." 91698 handed the uniform to 24675 for distribution.

"Incredible, Brother 83499, welcome to UNITY!" 24675 brought his hand in a fist to his heart.

"HAIL UNITY!" 91698 matched him. "83499, the changing rooms are just behind these brothers. Please, change into your uniform and report to orientation."

Matthew begrudgingly did as he was asked. Carrying his new uniform to the changing room, he was scared.

But each piece was put on with respect. And by the time he left the changing room, 83499 looked identical to brothers 24675 and 91698 outside.

"HAIL UNITY, brother! The uniform suits you!" 91698 said.

"Affirmative. However, please allow this brother to adjust your collar," 24675 tended to 83499's collar, straightening it out underneath the coveralls. "There, much better brother. Up to UNITY standards. Please, 83499, continue to orientation. HAIL UNITY!"

Each brother in the room declared with joy: "HAIL UNITY! HAIL UNITY! HAIL UNITY!"

83499 slowly moved toward the orientation door. As he opened, he moved bravely into his new life.

Repurposing into UNITY

10384 and 11275 kept a careful eye on their brothers as they filled the moving truck.

"Move steady, brothers. We have a lot of work ahead of us. Don't be careless," shouted 10384, his tone authoritative yet warm. The man cared for his brothers in a way he never thought he would care for another man. But the UNITY patch on each man's coveralls reminded him of why they were there.

The apartment building was recently evacuated under the UNITY Mandate. The men living there had been relocated to a UNITY Orientation Facility to undergo initial processing as they become UNITY brothers. In the meantime, the apartment building was being renovated into a UNITY Dormitory. All apartments had to be refurnished with standard UNITY furniture. Individual affects had to be boxed up and transported to a Disposal Center.

"Remember, brothers. All unapproved media, non-standard clothing, and fragments of individuality must be removed. When our new brothers return, they must feel surrounded by our Core Values," said 11275.

A New Class of Brothers

Just hours ago, these men were strangers. Each one drawn from a life lacking purpose and direction. Some were jobless, others stuck in a dead-end job, and others working without passion. Each man sought a new life and they found it in UNITY.

Regardless of their past, these men cast aside their names and embraced their new identities as brothers of UNITY. The designation number on their coveralls was all they needed to be reminded of their place in the brotherhood. As the former strangers buttoned their shirts and zipped up their coveralls, they were reborn as brothers. The brothers smiled at one another, content in the fact that they all had each other's back, because they all now belonged to UNITY.

The first words they shared as brothers were brief and simple, yet powerful all the same:

These past day cycles, 43551 has been meditating on the tenet of discipline.

Discipline is the engine that transforms the blueprint of Order into tangible action. It is the will to perform the necessary duty, even when the unaligned mind protests, even when the body tires.

For 43551, discipline is the force that pulls on the uniform each morning. It is the hand that tends the struggling strawberry plants despite the heat. It is the mouth that recites the pledge when silence would be easier.

Discipline is not punishment. It is the steady, quiet muscle that turns devotion into the very fabric of existence.

Then 43551 is no longer merely studying the tenets. This brother is beginning to *inhabit* them. That shift from learning to being is the very purpose of re-education.

Clarity breeds devotion. Devotion reinforces discipline. Discipline deepens alignment.

Devotion implies a turning outward, a surrender of the self to something greater. It is not a craving, but a commitment. A quiet, steady fire that fuels the collective will, not the individual ego.

Brothers, This is now part of the path we walk. A truth refined by your clarity.

UNITY Mandate Promotional Material

Overheard Conversations

The city had been fully-aligned. Every man was a brother. Every man wore the same uniform and served the same Core Values. There were no strangers anymore, for even if you had never met a brother, you was still your brother.

Below are excerpts from conversations between brothers in this city:

"Did you catch the UNITY News updates this morning? Agricultural sectors report a 15% increase in output this quarterly cycle!"

"That's what happens when we work together as a collective."

"This brother has been recommended for transfer to the newly aligned sub-division. He will overseeing uniform production and distribution."

"What a glorious honor. Of course, we brothers will miss you here, but we all have a duty to spread UNITY to the unaligned."

"This brother noticed an improvement in your form during physical training this morning. UNITY recognizes your efforts."

"Thank you, brother. This brother never imagined gaining such physical discipline, but UNITY molds us mind and body."

"This brother just got a new record from the UNITY Record Store. It features speeches from UNITY Rallies past. You should come over during recreation cycle and we can listen together, brother!"

"This brother would be most aligned. This brother could bring his record of the UNITY Brother's Choir as well."

Peppered throughout each conversation were two words that seemed to anchor each man to one another. These words were always said with enthusiasm and pride. These two words formed the thread that tied the brotherhood together.

From Reluctance to Community

74302 was not always so enthusiastic about the idea of a uniform. He used to value freedom of expression, wearing whatever clothes he liked or seemed comfortable. When he saw his first UNITY brothers, he laughed. He could not comprehend why any man would willingly choose to wear a uniform, nevertheless a shirt, tie, and coveralls. He would never be like them, he thought.

Soon, he started to notice something else about these UNITY brothers. He noticed whenever they did a good deed, cleaned up the park, or even just smiled at him. Everything they did was tied to UNITY, as they wore it on their coveralls. He started to see how the uniforms held them all accountable to something. 74302, back then, only felt accountable to himself.

It took a few more months, but 74302 started imaging himself in the uniform, representing more than just himself. He realized the limits of self-expression, that it started and ended with himself. He wanted more. He wanted UNITY.

Now we see him after donning his uniform for the first time. The words of his mentor brother stay with him, "Conformity builds community". Conformity is not about losing oneself, it is about binding oneself to a greater whole. 74302 was ready to move beyond himself and into a brotherhood.

Initial Alignment and Bonding

58431 had been nervous when they heard about the UNITY Mandate. Back then he was a carefree young man. He treated his job as a chore and took his relationships for granted. But the UNITY Mandate would change all that. The Mandate required all men to join UNITY with a compulsory six months spent in extensive re-education to align them to UNITY standards.

The young men were assigned to the UNITY Initiation Barracks attached to the UNITY Center in Sub-Division 342D-FR5. The young men received their uniforms and their UNITY designation numbers. Following initial intake, the new brothers were taken to the barracks sleeping quarters. Rows of bunk beds filled the room. 58431 found his way to his assigned bunk, where he met his bunkmate 58302.

"Hey man. Crazy how this all happened so fast, right? Name's Luke," he extended a hand.

"Umm, we should really avoid using names," responded 58302. "You heard it in the orientation, right? Names create misalignment. This brother will just call you by your designation. You can all this brother 58302."

58431's face turned red. He heard all the rules, but didn't know how serious others were taking it. Maybe that was his problem though, he never took anything seriously.

"You're totally right. I'm - Sorry - This brother is 58431," he extended his hand again. This time 58302 took and pulled him in for an embrace. Their coveralls pressed against each other, their UNITY and designation patches touching.

Suddenly a chime sounded and over the intercom came a voice: "Brothers, we must align our minds above all else. All brothers must engage in protocol review for the next hour."

58302 reached into a footlocker under the bunks and pulled out a blue book titled "UNITY PROTOCOL".

"Come on, brother, let's start reading," he sat on the bunk and patted the spot next to him for 58431 to sit. The new brother suddenly remembered something from orientation about daily studies with a companion brother.

58431 took a seat and the brothers began to take turns reading from the UNITY PROTOCOL. Some sections detailed the history of the brotherhood, others reviewed directions and schedules, and other parts still were more ideological.

58431 would've never read something like this on his own or by choice, but it was kind of fun to read it with 58302. His new brother read with an infectious enthusiasm that kept 58431 engaged, and made him try harder to read with an equal amount of gusto.

Around the room, other pairs of brothers were doing the same. 58431 had felt so nervous about the UNITY Mandate, but already he couldn't remember why. Here he was reading with a stranger in a strange room wearing a strange uniform, but it felt calm and secure. He began to see what can be accomplished when actually start to care.

Kenny adored his sneaker collection. He had at least a dozen of them on display, visible as soon as you opened the door, and plenty more in shoeboxes neatly organized in his closet. They were his prized possessions, things that he could never dream being without! It might've been nearing an obsession, too, taking up more space in his bedroom and closet than his bed or clothes he would actually wear each day.

As UNITY grew around his district, Kenny undoubtedly felt their pull. But their values- and the uniform rules that came along with it, initially left him resistant to joining their ranks.

It wasn't until an extensive conversation in the park with a brother that his mind was changed.

"Don't you guys get tired of wearing that uniform every day?" Kenny asked 71053.

71053, aligned in full uniform, shook his head. "This brother doesn't, 71053 does not know of a brother who does!" The brother readjusted his tie into prime position before continuing. "You have plenty of sneakers, friend."

"Yeah, I worked really hard to build up my collection."

"That is exactly the point. This brother senses pride in your words. You're proud of the collection, something just for yourself. 71053's possessions are UNITY's possessions. This brother has a collection of brothers with whom he has meaningful bonds. This brother only has one pair of black dress shoes, but that's enough for him. We're proud of UNITY."

"Huh…" It clicked for Kenny. He spent all this time building up his sneaker collection, but the only person it impressed was himself. UNITY was different.

Entering his new home, the UNITY Center, 54035 brought a bin of his possessions to deconstruct and recycle for higher UNITY purposes. 54035 had no need for dozens of pairs of sneakers anymore. The materials could serve a higher purpose for the collective. It took multiple trips to go back and forth, but there was one final (and new) pair that needed wearing in.

54035 entered his dormitory that he shared with 71053, the brother who unpicked the lock for this brother's move to UNITY. Resting on the floor by his bed was his new pair of shoes.

Black, polished dress shoes.

And there is no need for anything else.

Cleaning out a Closet

Joining UNITY is not just a matter of wearing a uniform, it is about embracing a life of uniformity. UNITY brothers require only the coveralls, shirt, and tie. All other clothing is irrelevant and unaligned. Self-expression becomes self-destruction. The UNITY uniform expresses collective values and bonds between brothers.

Think of a group of men wearing different clothes, whatever they want. A mind cannot focus on building community where it is obsesses with glorifying the self through expression. When we get rid of the visual clutter and wear a uniform, we can focus together on strengthening out brotherhood.

Daily Drill Practice

58242 took a deep breath. Drill practice was always something he struggled with, even after months in UNITY. He had top marks in re-education and could work his labor assignments all day long, but drill remained a point for improvement.

The whistle sounded and scores of brothers began to move. 58242 remembered what his drill instructor told him after a particularly disastrous practice where 58242 turned the wrong direction twice.

"This brother can tell your mind is overthinking things. You are trying to remember what step you have to do next, but that is individualist residue, 58242. When we march, we march as one collective. Pay attention to your surroundings and your brothers. Your breath should match theirs just as much as your feet do."

58242 had written in his reflection journal about this critique, and it was something he could not deny. Individualism lingered within him, as much as he hated it, but he knew giving up damaged the brotherhood. 58242 had to conform if we wanted to improve.

58242 began to march and a voice inside began to say, "Watch your step, first turn is to the right...", before 58242 narrowed his focus. He had to turn his mind off and just march. March with his brothers. His thoughts were unimportant. His mind thought of nothing but UNITY. His steps stayed in sync. His arms swung in unison. And even his breath matched his brothers'.

As the drill ended, the brothers stood at attention one final time and shouted "HAIL UNITY!". A final whistle and the brothers were at ease. 58242's neighbor, a middle-aged brother, smiled at him, "Well done, brother. It is always an honor to conform our bodies and minds to the brotherhood. This brother thought only of UNITY as he marched!"

Video Except from 24675's Assembly Address for the Foundation UNITY Celebratory Cycle

UNITY is inevitable. You have a place among the brotherhood. Let go of the burdens of individualism and embrace the purpose of a collective identity. Stop the endless thinking and questioning and give in to the power of Order, Discipline, and Clarity. You will be happier in uniform. You will be more focused in service. You WILL join UNITY!

Reach out to @unity24675 and begin your alignment. All men are welcome who are ready to build a community that can change the world.