alteropia

In the year 5074, in a flight of space-time far, far, away, the world is facing an impending calamity, and it doesn't involve a pair of very malodorous socks. Not directly anyway (though its owner believes there's still a good month's wear in them, at the very least). 

A comet from the Oort Cloud makes an unannounced appearance, masked by the disk of a faintly grey star, and threatens to wipe out life as we know it (though potentially creating life as we, er, don't know it...) It is up to the global Natural Philosophical community, led by a dignified, though nasally drippy, Professor and his somewhat dubious deputy (not a vizier, seriously!) from the Singhapur University National to prevent catastrophe, ensure the continued survival of civilization, and to do it with the minimal of fuss and hysteria.  

But there are other parties who have different ideas on how to tackle the issue — not really bad ones, mind you, and certainly with the best of intentions, but just not necessarily thoroughly thought through (excessive alliteration alert!). And it involves a certain famous historical personality who had laid the foundation for global peace and amity for the past three and a half millennia. With a hearty dose of joe and a heaping helping of chutzpah (warned you about them alliterations), these intrepid adventurers set out to make “a minor adjustment” in history (just a little tweak, really) to ensure this comet (or any other wild and woolly) situation would be more handily tackled in the future (or is it in the present... alternate present, maybe...). 

Or will they just royally muck things up?