Earth 161

In this world, 1 out of a hundred people has the power of mental time travel: they can send their consciousness back in time, and inhabit the body of an ancestor. Two factions form: one group trying to use this ability to change the past to give themselves dictatorial power, and the other trying to preserve the freedom of humanity, by preserving history.
== Mechanics of Time Travel ==
Only people from certain families have the ability to travel. The power often skips a generation or two. Those who have the power do it by going into an isolated place, putting on a blindfold and earplugs, and going into a trance state. With intense focus and planning, one can try to send themselves back to a specific point in history--to a specific ancestor at a specific time. Experienced travelers' families are diligent about keeping records of their ancestors and what they did. When they do go back, their body usually goes into a state similar to a coma, wherein they burn less calories, unless the ancestor they travel to is one who also has the power. In that case, the ancestor may choose to leapfrog into your unconscious body in the future, rather than be forced to spectate on their own life. Experienced travelers generally have someone they trust who can take care of their body until they return.