All year  I worked, my robots helping me.

At last it was ready: the universe's first ever time machine!

I aimed the nozzle at the chocolate and shouted out, "Disaster - avert!"

I was sent down a tunnel which reminded me a bit of the kind of flume you get in a swimming pool but surrounded by bright blue light and merging stars.

When I arrived I found myself in a room in old-time Switzerland with a clicking cuckoo clock. A little old man hobbled towards me.

"Was machen Sie?" he said curiously, peering over his glasses.

I asked if he spoke English. He did and very well.

It turned out his name was DanielPeters. We chatted pleasantly for a while but then I said I had to go.

He waved me off but the time machine wouldn't let me go.

"The time disaster has not been averted," it kept saying.

I gave up. It must have malfunctioned  I guessed.

So Daniel very kindly let me stay the night.

In the morning he let me accompany him to his factory.

He said some Nestle's condensed milk lying around. It absolutely stank.

He said he was thinking of chucking it into the fine dark chocolate he was making. I said absolutely not and he agreed. I then tried to leave again.

"The time disaster has now been averted," said the time machine.

"You have prevented Daniel Peters from inventing milk chocolate."

I sped through the tunnel again.

Oh dear: I needed to be more precise with my time machine next time, I realised.

RATE THIS BRANCH!