"So, what took ya so long? I thought you said that your new car could break the sound barrier, and had four jet powered engines? I thought you said, just this morning, that I would be picked up, by my mom, from school, in front of all my friends, in the coolest, most modern car this side of the thirtieth centuary? Did I hear that? Well, obviously not because I was once again left standing outside school by myself looking like a complete dork waiting for my mother who was once again LATE!" The chain dangling from her pocket jangled as she stamped her foot on the last word, glaring up at her nervous looking mother.

       "I'm sorry Torrance, but you know that I have to work late at the moment, ever since we discovered that new-funky machine left over from the last alien landing. We have to work out what it is. I lost track of time."

       "But you PROMISED! And its TORRA! You know I hate being called Torrance!" She raged, stamping her foot again.

       "Sorry sweetie, I….forgot," Said the mother, making a mental note. "I'll buy you a new 4-D video game on the way to pick up your father, will that make it up?" Torrance considered.

       "The Curse of the Return of The Revenge Of The Monkeys from Mars III and IV?"

       "I said one video-" began the mother, but then said "Okay." As Torrance clenched her fists and took a huge breath, about to scream. At these words, though, she breathed out, and then her small face broke into an ultra-cute smile.

       "Thankyou mommy! You're the greatest!" She said, throwing herself upon her relieved mother, then dragging her by the wrist towards the car.

       "Where did we go wrong with her?" She thought inwardly.

       "You need any help, mom?" Tora peered down cautiously at Jane who was approaching the treehouse, staggering under the weight of an unseen-hand-held object.

       "Oh….that…would….be helpful…actually,……thankyou….dear!" She said, stopping and sitting down on a log to get her breath back. Tora swung down to help her, landing lightly next to her. She stared at the tennis ball-sized black object at Jane's feet.

       "What the heck is that?" She said poking it with one finger.

       "I don't know dear. And please don't swear." She added absent-mindedly as she massaged her hand.

       "I wasn't swearing." Said, glancing up at her mother. She turned her attention back to the ball, and tried to pick it up. "Ah…oww…why's it so heavy?" She said, her legs buckling under the weight.

       "Like I said dear, it's nothing I've ever seen, not even when I was in England. That's why I'm so interested in it," She continued, standing up. "It's an un-discovered substance. Very strange indeed." Between them they managed to heave it up the ladder into the treehouse.

       "Where…should…we…put…it?" Gasped Tora.

       "How…about…the…table?"

       "Oh…kay." They placed it heavily on the table.

       "There. Phew!" Said Jane, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

       Crunch. Thump. Crunch.

       They both turned again. Where the ball had been, there was now a hole in the table. They looked down. Another hole through the floor.

       "Um…Oh well, what were you ment to use something like that for anyway?" Said Tora shrugging.

       Torrance sat grouchily outside the lab, playing 'The Curse of the Return of The Revenge Of The Monkeys from Mars III'. Her mother had fitted a console there in desperation after she had thrown a tantrum because she had to wait another half-hour after her father had been accidentally zapped to Pluto. It had actually been her fault, because she was bored and started hitting buttons while her parents were talking. Her mother reasoned that it was their fault, for neglecting her. Though both intelligent people, neither of them were very bright as far as parenting went.

       Torrance blew up another Martian-Monkey, then threw down the control and took off the head set.

       "MOM! This game is a load of CRAP!" She yelled through the doorway.

       "Please don't swear honey." Said her mother.

       "I'LL SWEAR AS MUCH AS I WANT TO! I WANT TO GO HOME!" She screamed.

       "Sweetie, you haven't tried the other one I bought you yet, maybe that one will be better." Said her mother pleadingly. Torrance glared at her and stomped off.

       "As I was saying, Janet, we have discovered what the piece of alien technology is used for." Her father gestured towards a robotic arm holding a round black ball.

       "You see, when we took out the micro chip from inside and looked at its programming on the computers, we saw that it is programmed to transport objects."

       "So?" Said Janet.

       "Well, its no transport like we've ever seen on earth. It does not transport over distance but time. It's a time machine!"

       "A time machine, Tarl? Are you sure we shouldn't be getting therapy for you as well as Torrance?" Asked Janet, doubtfully.

       "Oh, no, we're sure of it. We've been sending different earth substances back of different qualities. We have just started using mercurium- the densest substance known to man. One piece this size weighs-"

       "Yes I know the properties of mercurium Tarl. How do you know you haven't just sent them to Russia or something?" Said Janet, still dis-believing.

       "Ah, that's the clever bit!" Said Tarl proudly. "When we send them back in time, we then move the machine, and a few moments later, they re-appear where they disappeared. But," He said before his wife could protest that that didn't prove anything "When they re-appear, they are different. They have changed over a large amount of time. They went back in time, and then stayed there, all that time, until now. Do you see?" Janet looked bewildered.

       "Nnnnot really. I'll just take your word for it." She said.

       "Only, we've had one problem. The mercurium hasn't come back."

       "Here it is!" Said a lab assistant, pointing to the floor. He took a remote control and moved the robotic arm over to pick it up.

       "Hmmm." Thought Tarl. Then he said "Oh I see! It must have been moved. Perhaps it's travelled back to a time when there were creatures strong enough to pick it up!" He turned to the lab assistant. "Can you calculate how far back in time the substances went, from how much they have aged?" The assistant nodded and started working.

       "Well, that's all very clever dear, but shouldn't you try to find out how to bring the substances back again?" Asked Janet.

       "Yes dear, we're working on it. But for now, we will continue with our present experiments."

       "I'll take Torrance home." Said Janet, looking ill at the thought.

       "How is she getting on with the therapist?" Asked Tarl quietly.

       "Well, She said something about me letting her dominate my life too much. Mabey she needs a distraction, like a younger brother or sist-"

       "NO! No, no, sorry." Said Tarl making everyone in the lab turn to look at them. "Sorry." He said more quietly. "Sorry, it's just the thought of two Torrances really…doesn't…sound…good." Janet nodded.

       "MOM! IM BORED, I WANNA GO HOME NOW!" Yelled Torrance.

       "Yes sweetie." Said Janet turning. "I'm just coming."

       "Now sending second mercurium sample-" Said the assistant.

       "MOM I WANNA GO HOME NOW!" Yelled Torrance, running across the room.

       "TORRANCE DON'T GO NEAR THAT-" Screamed Tarl. There was a flash. Torrance disappeared.

       They stood frozen for a moment, then Janet screamed...

       "OH MY GOD YOU SENT OUR DAUGHTER BACK IN TIME!"