Twist

Anthony Fennell, a novelist turned journalist, reflects on his time aboard the Georges Lecointe and his relationship with John Conway, the man in charge of underwater cable repair aboard the ship. 

At the time, Anthony’s career feels stagnant, and in an effort to find some kind of connection and spark, he takes an assignment to write an article about the Georges Lecointe, one of the busiest underwater cable repair ships in the world. Though he knows nothing about underwater cables, which facilitate the spread of internet connectivity and information around the world, he looks forward to the opportunity. He travels to Cape Town, South Africa, to begin his article.

In Cape Town, Anthony is surprised to see the persistent legacy of South Africa’s apartheid, with poverty and wealth side by side, and fences seemingly everywhere. He spends his first day exploring the city, but back at his hotel that night, anxious to begin his assignment, he calls the cable company that owns the Georges Lecointe. Though Anthony wants to be on the ship, the company in Brussels reminds him that the ship will not go out until a cable breaks, which could be the next day or a year from now.