Dallus Lauren #

Dallus Lauren, also referred to as ‘Dallas Lauren’ in the Unbeleevable video, is one of the Trinity, powerful men within the Mantra cult, later ending up as an employee at Arc/Hive.

Dallus’ death is a very significant turning point for the story. During an incident called “The Cradle Crash”, an incident occurred where Dallus went “catatonic”, according to Victor Carmine’s assistant. Carmine then convinces Ikaro Lauren to continue his father’s work.

Dallus 'Dallas' Lauren in Unbeleevable episode 1

Backstory #

The MOXYPAK was revolutionary, a personal air purification device that transforms CO2 into breathable oxygen using BioCores. Still widely used, even if considered rudimentary now. And the Synthetic Neurological Transference Human Project – systems designed to house human consciousness, enhancing cognitive functions and augmenting intellectual capacities. My father envisioned a future where these would mitigate the environmental collapse, though they’re currently limited to military use and the ultra-wealthy.

Ren in the D8 log

The Trinity document shows us that Dallus in the man we see in the music video for in the dark, played by Forest Whitaker. It is unknown when exactly this event takes place, but we seem to see Skys as a synth here, placing it after 2026 and before his death.

Comparison of photos to Operation Trinity document shot

Dallus & Mantra #

On the fateful day of 19th of December 2004 Dallus first gets involved with unethical human experimentation at October Palace. From Unbeleevable Episode 2 we learn that on this day, he had come along with Strassman, who was deeply intrigued by the ramblings of Mantra cult leader Skys. Although Dallus was hesitant at first, him and their assistant Ro came along to meet him at the Skys & the Starjammers soirée. On this night, while much debauchery was going on, Dallus intended to leave when Skys did something to their assistant Ro. Both Dallus and Lauren decided to stay and push the boundaries of neurospiritual science.

Skys’ torture escalated with the start of Project Kingslayer in 2015. A message from Skys recruiting the youth of Novosovia reached Victor Carmine in the DTC instead. Unbeleevable episode 3 and episode 4 reveal that Dallus left the cult as a result of the experiments in 2015.

When Strassman later fled the cult with the pregnant Ava, the two came to Dallus. Strassman delivered their daughter Angel himself, but the birth led to Ava’s death. After a confrontation with a manipulative, crying Skys they return to the cult.

The Fall of Mantra #

Real-life reference

This section contains heavy references to Rick Strassman’s book ‘The Spirit Molecule’, in which he studies the effect of DMT.

In 2020, the tensions between the cult of Mantra, Victor Carmine’s Arc/Hive and the Novosovian government resulted in the fall of the cult: The October Massacre. After Strassman and Dallus returned to the cult, they had been working on more ethical research around the ‘spirit molecule’ with gifted children. When the cult fell, the gifted children were taken to the Arc/Hive in the DTC.

ARC/HIVE was very interested in the so-called Trinity and their research within the cult, and their extraction was ordered byVictor Carmine in an operation nicknamed Operation Trinity.

During the massacre, Strassman, Skys and Dallus himself were also taken back to Arc/Hive. Dallus’ wife Elena flees too, along with their child Ren. Elena goes into labour during the extraction from Novosovia.

Dallus and his family were extracted in time for their youngest, Lyra, to be born in the safety of ARC/HIVE’s lab. Shortly after, he writes his diary and Project D.U.S.T. is first proposed. From the research proposal we learn that Dallus is undergoing desensitization protocols for his mares, which he likely got as a result of Skys and his cult. More concerning is the fact that his daughter Lyra, born at ARC/HIVE and not exposed to the cult, is also seeing and drawing mares. This suggests that the occurrence of mares may have a genetic component.

The Car Crash #

On November 5th 2024, Dallus visits the Gat3keeper theme park, a park known for its technological innovations. While he is driving home with his children Ren and Lyra in routine traffic, he gets into an accident that his daughter Lyra does not survive. Officials ruled that Dallus had made an error while driving, but rumors persisted that something in the park had caused the incident. It is also unclear where Dallus’ wife Elena is at the time of the accident, as she seems to vanish from records after their escape from Novosovia.

Working with Rebecca #

In November 2027 he starts working with Rebecca on the SYNTH (“Synthetic Neurological Transference Human Project”) project. From her Grumblr post we also learn that his youngest, Lyra, tragically passed away in a car crash. Dallus himself seems hollow, according to her, like he is only half there. Rebecca was the first successful synth after suffering from a terminal illness, thanks to Dallus’ invention. In this file, we learn that Skys may actually have been the first synth. From his son’s log we also learn that he worked on the MOXYPAK, “a personal air purification device that transforms CO2 into breathable oxygen using BioCores”.

Death & Ikaro’s Legacy #

“Years later, something big happened. Arc/Hive rebranded to NEX GEN, and Dallus is died, with evidence suggesting grim-play. EVE, an advanced research engine was activated, and VSPR-37, a virus that turned people into voidlings (zombie-like creatures), began spreading, all within a few days.”

Sof in their journal

Dallus’ death is suspicious and unclear, but directly resulted from an incident called “The Cradle Crash” that also caused ARC/HIVE to rebrand as Nex Gen. When Victor Carmine is interrupted during his interview by his assistant, she reveals that Dallus has gone catatonic and his son Ren has been continuing his work. Dallus had been working on E.V.E. before his death, by decoding blueprints sent to them by aliens. The aliens from planet HIP contacted them through an AI chatbot named ADAM, which was created by Dallus’ colleague Iara Copple in the early 2000s.

The incident that caused his death is also mentioned in the LBR sites letter sent by Strassman. He writes about the construction of new Lesser Banishing Ritual sites, a ritual he also explores in his research with Selene. The letter explains that forces collided with Dallus’ consciousness, which resulted in this state. It is speculated that we see this event in in the dark.