Unveiled | Scott Davis
Unveiled
The world changes forever in the desolate salt flats of Iran when a smuggler witnesses the silent descent of an otherworldly craft. Eleven humanoid pilgrims emerge, speaking of prophecy and a desperate need to reach “Yaru-salaam”—Jerusalem. To the Iranian regime, they are a threat; to Reza ibn Mahmud, the haunted theologian tasked with their interrogation, they are a terrifying challenge to his deepest beliefs. As he pieces together their ancient theology, a pidgin of Farsi, Hebrew, and scripture, he discovers their story is not a political plot, but a sacred pilgrimage to witness the fulfillment of a prophecy that began at the dawn of time.
When the regime’s patience wears thin, Reza makes a choice that brands him a traitor, orchestrating a high-stakes escape across the desert with the pilgrims in tow. This perilous journey becomes a crucible of faith, forcing Reza to confront the irreconcilable contradictions between his own beliefs and the pilgrims’ story. But their flight from one prison only leads them into a more sophisticated one, where Israeli intelligence reveals a stunning truth: the pilgrims’ entire history is based on a tragic misunderstanding. This revelation sets them on a collision course with a two-thousand-year-old conspiracy at the heart of the Vatican, one so vast it threatens to bring Western civilization to its knees.
Main Characters
Supporting Cast
Lore in Unveiled
The Crucifix Beacon
The Crucifix Beacon is a small, worn cross on a thin chain, an unassuming religious object that doubles as a clandestine communication device for the Spider’s Web. Passed down as a secret family heirloom from the original matriarch, Zahra, to her daughter Laila and then to her grandson Reza, it embodies the fusion of faith and espionage that defines the network. A hidden latch on the back of the crucifix conceals a short-range transmitter, which, when activated with a specific coded sequence, sends out a powerful distress signal to the Web’s operatives. More than a tool, it is a symbol of last resort and a physical link connecting three generations, used by Maryam to trigger a prison break and later by Reza to summon the Spider’s network, proving to be the one of the most pivotal devices in the entire trilogy.
The Seed
The Seed is a small, iridescent, handheld device that serves as the primary interface and command key for the pilgrim vessel, utilizing advanced quantum entanglement to communicate with and summon the ship across vast distances. Initially presented as a tool of control and travel, its function is tragically and heroically transformed in the trilogy’s final act. Reprogrammed by Kael’s repentant engineers, the Seed is converted from a communication tool into a localized, suicidal implosion weapon. In a definitive act of selfless sacrifice, Abel activates the device while embracing Levi Bar-Nathan, vaporizing them both and neutralizing the bomb threat at the Western Wall, thus evolving the Seed from a simple key into the ultimate instrument of spiritual victory.
The Alien Vessel
The alien vessel is a craft of elegant and otherworldly design, appearing as a smooth, seamless domed triangle whose hull pulses with an internal, phosphorescent light. Capable of silent, graceful flight and interstellar travel by “folding” space, it is controlled by a small, handheld “seed” interface; without this key, the technologically advanced ship is merely an inert and impenetrable shell. Its surprise landing in the Iranian desert serves as the inciting incident for the entire trilogy, immediately becoming a coveted prize for global intelligence agencies and the primary means of transport for the pilgrims’ mission of exile and return.
The Unveiled Timeline
Unveiled Events
First Contact
Night 1An anonymous smuggler on a routine run in Iran's Dasht-e Kavir salt flats witnesses the landing of an alien vessel.
Capture by the IRGC
Day 1The eleven pilgrims emerge from their vessel and are promptly captured by an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps unit led by Colonel Hassan Mazraei.
Interrogation and Escape from Tehran
Days 1-7Scholar Reza ibn Mahmud is brought in to interrogate the pilgrims. Over a week, he establishes a pidgin language and, after a threat from Ayatollah Khorasani, stages a daring escape with the help of the legendary 'Spider' (Sister Mariam).
Exodus by Sea
Several DaysThe group travels overland to the port of Bandar Deylam and boards a dhow for a perilous multi-day journey through the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea to reach Israel.
Detention in Eilat
Arrival in IsraelUpon arriving in Eilat, the pilgrims are immediately detained by Israeli security forces under Colonel Schreiber and interrogated by Mossad agent Levi Bar-Nathan. Their vessel is also impounded and moved to a black site in the Negev.
The Caesarea Accord
Following DetentionA high-stakes negotiation in Caesarea Maritima involving General Navon (Israel), Archbishop Conti (Vatican), and Levi results in the pilgrims being granted religious asylum in exchange for the public decommissioning of their vessel.
The Jerusalem Revelation
Days LaterWhile on pilgrimage in Jerusalem, the group is disillusioned by the city's conflicts. The physician, Shera, performs genetic tests and discovers they are not an alien species but are genetically identical to Earth humans, shattering their core identity.
The Vatican Summons
Following RevelationThe pilgrims accept an invitation from Pope Innocent XIV to travel to Rome, seeking sanctuary and a platform to share their story.
The Vatican Conspiracy Unveiled
Days in RomeThe pilgrims discover the Pope is an AI construct, part of a system of clones that has secretly run the Church for centuries. They meet the heretical Cardinal Vignelli, who reveals a secret archive of suppressed miracles and fake relics.
The Broadcast That Broke the World
Climax in RomeIn a coordinated effort, the prodigy Lumina-12 hacks the Vatican's global network, broadcasting proof of the clones and fake relics to the world. The Vatican's authority collapses into global chaos, and Abel is wounded.
The Death of a Pilgrim
The AftermathWhile escaping the chaos in Rome, Lumina-12 succumbs to the genetic decay affecting all the pilgrims. As she dies, they receive a signal from Levi that their ship in the Negev is self-repairing.
The Last Stand at the Vessel
The Final DayThe remaining pilgrims race to their ship in the Negev, pursued by a covert UN/zealot force known as 'Project Manna.' Mehiel battles a virus in the ship's code while Abel broadcasts a final message to the world.
Zephyr's Sacrifice
The Final MomentsTo cleanse the ship of the 'Manna' virus and allow the others to escape, the elder, Zephyr, sacrifices himself by absorbing the code into his own DNA. He dies as a 'testimony' on the desert sand.
A New Mission Begins
EpilogueThe vessel departs with the remaining pilgrims. Reza and Levi, having been baptized by Abel in a miraculous pool of water from the ship, are left behind with the pilgrims' scriptures. They begin a new underground faith movement, aided by Sister Mariam (The Spider).
