The complete and utter dread I got realizing Derek was not the one who put his laptop in that storage locker is AAA the through line is absolutely heart wrenching.
The DMS have a track record of testing things they shouldn't be on civilians. For one reason or another, Derek is given one of their Minecraft versions with a virus in it. This virus had already been tested on a community of people, the cult, OR was genuinely brought into the game world by their clumsiness and seized by the DMS. With Derek, the test is clearer - and more fatal.
Derek is seized by the DMS who can only study the virus - the king - while he's alive. Derek who can see everything, knows Avery is going to be caught up in whatever the hell the department does, and tries to warn him. He can't stop them from taking himself, nor the laptop, but he can try. He writes his goodbye, and becomes one sliver of knowledge more vast than all the oceans of the world. He's terrified of that void, but its the only known thing he can see waiting for him.
The DMS figure out the code and place the laptop in Avery's path. This is something new for them to study about the virus, and they're not about to miss their chance.
Avery gets the laptop.
All is well at first, until the same curiosity that got him the laptop sends him down to the mine and to the book. He records his video.
The footage is found.
Avery watches the video, gets back into the world and does his very best to save someone already gone.
Which he does. The DMS lose their test subject. They seize the surviving footage, unwilling to let their failure be known.
But Avery still remembers, and mourns, his friend.
