In an alternate world, quantum computers have become a reality and thus a new job profile. So-called cablers lay miles of cables through the wilderness. Ray is a newbie, hoping to make money to afford the treatment for his brother, who is suffering from a mysterious illness. But the deeper he goes into the intricacies of his new employment, the more sinister the undertaking seems to him. With Lapsis, Noah Hutton offers a lo-fi satire of the gig economy that is sharp as a tack and exceptionally well thought-out—and one of the most convincing science fictions in recent memory.