Tiberia was only one planet in one galaxy, but it was the military strength of all Corpon. The Tiberian Imperium had special clearance to investigate any situations that might lead to a disruption of the delicate balance that reigned in Corpon. This special clearance, laid out in the Cooperative Accords, was what allowed a small ship to land on the planet Korphein unimpeded.
Several high-ranking members of Korphein's security force awaited the occupants of the vessel. They stood in perfect lines at attention. Their perfectly kept uniforms were decorated with medals representing each of their illustrious careers in the security force. The ramp lowered, and a man trotted down to meet them. The light of the sun brought out the blond highlights in his otherwise brown hair, which hung at his shoulders. He wore obviously old boots that seemed to have been polished and refurbished, and black pants that had received the same treatment. Around his waist hung a utility belt with several pockets and compartments. The shirt he wore underneath his trench coat was a tank top. The man smiled casually upon seeing all of the officials and produced a haloscreen. The screen projected his name, rank, and organization.
The officials relaxed. "This way, Comman—" they began.
"Just Ace," he interrupted with a smile. "Commander is so formal it makes me nervous."
"This way, Ace," they corrected, ushering him to a hovering pad that, upon being stepped on, took him directly to the site of the concern.
The site was a small platform with the object of interest in the middle. To Ace, who was no expert in technology, it looked like a bomb. Exasperated, he pulled a pair of glasses from his pocket. After he placed them on his face, the glasses began to scan the object while connecting to their designer, Whiz—probably one of the most ornery techs in the entire universe, but just as brilliant.
"I was sleeping," came Whiz's tired answer.
"Hey! There's my favorite techno! Listen, your ultra-awesome glasses scanned this... thing, and I was wondering how to disarm it," Ace said as he circled the object.
Whiz was silent for quite some time before he responded. Ace had to assume he was either trying to figure out where Ace got the audacity to call him or, more optimistically, reading the schematics and coming to a decision.
"You don't disarm an engine. You disable it," came Whiz's reply.
"This is an engine? What does it run off of?" Ace responded. Now he had more questions than answers. Not good.
"Looks like it's harvesting spiritual energy, meaning anyone who dies on Korphein is gonna have their soul used as fuel for this machine."
With this information, Ace used another device: a handheld device that was all screen.
"Ace to Imperium," he began.
The response was automatic. "This is the Imperium. What is the nature of the assignment on Korphein?" a voice asked.
"This is not a bomb. It is an engine that seems to be powered by the souls of the recently dead."
There was a long silence before the voice answered. "Is there a way to disable the device?"
Tiberians. They never failed to get right to the point.
Ace made a sound at Whiz, who answered for him.
"The engine is complex, but it does have an off switch, like all other engines. However, this could cause a meltdown of sorts."
"Elaborate," replied the voice.
"The engine could explode and release all of those spirits, which could create a mass of vengeful spirits due to them not waking up in their given afterlives," Whiz explained.
Again, there was a silence.
"Disable it any way you can safely."
The line went dead, and Ace scoffed.
"No, I think I might throw it over the ledge! Maybe beat it with a hammer! I got an idea! How 'bout I shoot it!" he raved as he paced like a trapped animal.
"Don't shoot it. There's a tube that seems to be part of its cooling system. According to what I've seen, disconnecting it will cause it to overheat and shut down," Whiz instructed. "And yes, I know I'm a genius."
Ace strolled around the engine, examining different parts and trying to find the tube Whiz described. When he finally found it, he began to unscrew it. That was the last thing he saw for a whole two minutes.
A golden ray burst through the clouds, engulfing the engine and half of Ace's body in its light.
When it subsided, it left the lower half of Ace's body, his waist cauterized. The engine itself seemed to have been destroyed. The security force stood with their mouths agape while the dust under Ace's lower half seemed to rise and rapidly rebuild his spine and other bones. His muscular system and skin regenerated right behind the bone.
Soon, only his head remained incompletely regenerated, his mouth hanging open with a scream that gained volume as his vocal cords regenerated. He was well built and covered in sweat. Finally, he let out a full scream that transformed into an angry yell.
The security force of Korphein was too shocked to even comment on the events. Ace pivoted around several times, first to the left, then to the right, and then sighed.
"So, short version: I'm an immortal, as far as I know. Also, that beam hurt immensely."