Itinerary

The note on his watch lit up in bright, friendly colors when Rimmer woke. Remember to die today! :)

Early on in the history of the continuum, it had been discovered that 300 years was the maximum lifespan an Ace iteration could complete while remaining relatively sane. Thus, any Ace that managed to survive that long, had to... reboot. 

The process was simple: Concentrate, exit your body, and re-enter. Up the ziggurat, etc. 

Rimmer inhaled, and-

Rimmer exhaled, gasping at the lifeless body on the floor. "There's been a murder! Hang on, who is that? Who am I?"

The cycle continued.