AN: Hey, I'm sorry for being so slow with getting chapters out.

New novel idea + unemployment + financial stress = slower chapter postings

I'm trying my best to focus, though. This story will not die. I can promise you that. Now please enjoy this chapter. It's nice and confusing.

Wheatley was terribly lonely in space. The Space Core (whatever the little bugger's name was) had drifted away from him a few months ago. Or at least it felt like it had been a few months. Wheatley had to conserve his energy in any ways possible so he'd shut off his internal clock ages ago. However, despite how unbearably annoying that other core's voice was, Wheatley was disappointed that now the only sound he could hear was his own whining.

"I suppose I should be grateful that I'm alone, to be honest," he said. "I don't have to hear that core screaming about space anymore. It is quite lonely out here, though." He looked down at Earth and sighed. "All I want is to be home. I want to see Nora again so I can make amends. I want to hear her voice and see that adorable purple eye or hers."

"It's a shame you don't have rockets attached to you," said a quiet female voice.

Wheatley turned to see a woman floating next to him. Her long hair was brown with a tint of red. She wore a fluffy white turtleneck sweater and a pale pink skirt that ended just below her knees. She seemed to be sitting on nothing with her long legs crossed and her hands resting in her lap. She offered him a small smile.

"W-What?! How is this even possible?!" Wheatley exclaimed. "You don't have a space suit or anything! Oh god! I've gone completely mental, haven't I?! Just like Doug!"

"You're not crazy, Wheatley," the woman said in a gentle voice. Her smile was genuine, but there was something intimidating about her dark, almond-shaped eyes.

"Then how are you alive out here?" Wheatley demanded. "How can I hear you out in space? Just who are you?"

"My name is Li," she said. "I'm here to help you. I know all about you and Nora. I thought you were a lovely couple."

Wheatley's pupil shrank as he became embarrassed. "Oh, um, thank you," he said. "I-I think so, too. We were so compatible. That is, until I turned out to be a total prat."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Li said. "I'm sure she can forgive you."

"But I'll never know!" Wheatley grumbled. "I'm stuck in orbit!"

"I'm going to do you a favor," Li said. "I want to send you back to Earth, and I'll even give you your old body back. But there's a catch."

"Of course there is!" Wheatley whined. "What is it? Will I be deformed? Are you going to wipe my memory?"

Li laughed lightly. "No no!" she said. "Nothing like that! I just want to make you search for her. It would be so romantic for you two when you reunite."

"Would it?" Wheatley asked. "That does sound like a good idea."

"Great!" Li said, clapping her hands together. "You'll find help once you get back down. Now let's see about that body."

Wheatley didn't even blink and he was suddenly in a human body. His limbs were longs and his hair was short. He was also dressed quite smartly. He had no idea how he was breathing in space, though.

"H-How did you do this?!" Wheatley asked. "This is amazing! I have skin and flesh! I'm a stinking human!" He grinned.

"You look wonderful," Li said. "Now here's where things get a bit….scary. You'll notice something strapped to your back. Well, it's a parachute. You'll want to pull the ripcord once you think you're a mile from the ground. Don't worry about botching it up. I'll be watching and can fix any hiccups that may occur. I'll also slow your fall speed so you don't burn up in the atmosphere."

"But—"

Li gave Wheatley a gentle push towards Earth. He drifted faster and faster toward the ground.

"Wait!" he tried to protest.

"Good luck, Wheatley!" Li said.

Wheatley cried out as he continued to pick up speed. Li narrowed her dark eyes and looked around her suspiciously. Then she smirked and crossed her arms.

"What do you think of that, so-called 'G-Man'?" she muttered. "You're not getting to Doug in this universe. Why don't you relay that to your employers?"