Who is Penelope (Penny) Weschler?

Penelope is perhaps the character most significantly different between the two versions of reality, emphasized by the fact that she goes by “Penny” in the new reality, something the stoic Penelope would never have done. In the old reality, Penelope sacrificed all her life, limiting personal relationships, to prove she was capable of becoming an astronaut. When that plan failed after years of training, she decided she would put her dedication into being a time-traveler. Though she did not outwardly show it, Penelope held a deep grief for the fact that she was not able to be an astronaut after years of sacrifice, leading her to make reckless decisions such as sleeping with Tom without protection the night before she was set to travel through time and killing herself when it turned out she could no longer be part of the mission. Despite her lack of engagement with other people, Penelope is one of the few people who Tom feels a connection with. This is due in part to her experience with grief, which Tom feels acutely after his mother dies, and her helpful advice regarding the emotion, while others simply offer hollow condolences.