The body swapping procedure is possible thanks to the discovery of NeuroGen, made by Dr. Larry Thomas and his team of scientists at Ambrosia Corporation. NeuroGen is a substance capable of regenerating nerve and brain tissue, healing previously permanent injuries in a matter of hours. Applying the gel-like substance can cure paralysis, reconnect amputated limbs and much more. However, these applications were researched by other teams. Dr. Thomas and his assistant Gloria Adams were authorized to pursue another possible use of this miraculous substance: connecting a person's brain to another's body, resulting in a body swap. After a few months of research, they reached a point were human testing was considered safe. The first test subjects were two members of the Mason family.
Unfortunately, NeuroGen has a major flaw: it can only be used once on an individual. After the first use, the immune system builds up defences against NeuroGen, and a second dose would be destroyed before it could have any effect. This means the body swapping process is a one way trip. Dr. Thomas nonetheless decided that, even with this problem, body swapping was still worth pursuing, as its world-changing potential was too great to be abandonned.
The body swapping process consists of transferring a part of the brain from one body to the next. The transferred part contains personality, memories and most academical knowledge. However, abilities that are used instinctively, such as motor skills and language, stay with the body. For example, a child who swapped into an adult would acquire the ability to read or drive, but would not have access to cultural or scientific knowledge. Meanwhile, the adult in the child's body would retain all of his knowledge, but would no longer be capable of reading or driving a car.