Not Dead, but Don't Get Your Hopes Up

Ludwig Einstein and I walked remorsefully into a hospital room in Florida. Peter and Aleck were grabbing a bite to eat. I slowly shuffled to the room where he lay, when BAM. The door flew open, and Vanderdecken12, a ruffled, dirty Vanderdecken12, but an alive one, dashed out of the room, shoving both me and Einstein aside, and rushing toward the elevator. "He's not dead!" I said gladly.
"Don't be too happy about that." the mad scientist warned, "but if you want to speak to him, you better hurry before the elevator gets here."
I ran after him obediently, and jumped into the elevator right before it closed, "Vanderdecken12!" I said. He, however, just continued looking at the elevator door as we descended, "Vanderdecken! It's me!" I shoved him, hit him, anything to get his attention, but he didn't move. The elevator neared the bottom floor, and I was desperated.
"Vanderdecken!" I screamed (yes, screamed), slamming the emergency stop button. That got his attention, and he slowly looked my way, "Vanderdecken, what happened?"
"You look familiar."
"It's me, Ben!"
"Are you for us, or against us?"
"Ummm, for you, I think..."
"Only one thing matters, Benjamin." I couldn't tell if he recognized me or not, "Wealth must not be abused. Suffering must end. Nothing else matters." he pressed the button to continue the elevator's progress.
"Wait, Vanderdecken!" I reached for the button, but he grabbed my arm and didn't let go until the door open, when he dashed off again. I watched him run as Ludwig Einstein walked up to me.
"What happened to him?" I asked
"The preservatives took over part of his mind. Rather than killing him, it just twisted him into something he isn't."
"I've gotta find him!"
He sighed, "the original you spends the next 10 years searching for him, ruining your life in the process. I can take you to him in 2016.
"Why not before?"
"Nobody knows where he went, not even me."