The Passengers(19)
Libby bit the inside of her bottom lip to stop it quivering. ‘I thought that’s what these inquests were about, to discuss what happened and to make that decision together?’ she said. ‘Today is turning out to be just like yesterday – you’ve already decided on a verdict and it’s never the fault of the car.’
Jack took a step back and pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘This is what, your second day here? I don’t expect someone like you to grasp the ins and outs of software development. I do, however, expect you to trust what your Government has told you. The software used in AI has been embedded with human principles to help to guide the vehicle’s decision-making process.’
The more condescending Jack became, the more it spurred Libby’s defiance. ‘Are you trying to make me believe AI has the same cognitive abilities as you or I? A car can’t feel sympathy and empathy or operate with a moral code like we do.’
‘We have a lot to get through so perhaps it’s best we move on,’ said Jack. ‘Unless anyone has anything else to add that is pertinent to this case, then shall we take a vote?’ The others, with the exception of Libby, voiced their agreement.
‘If you could please tick one of the two boxes in the corner of the screen …’
A ringing phone coming from the corner of the room interrupted him. One of his assistants answered and Libby noticed the colour draining quickly from his face.
‘Sir,’ he directed towards Jack, ‘we will need to suspend proceedings for the time being.’ The hologram disappeared and at a beeping sound, all heads turned towards the large double doors as they unlocked and opened wide. The two bulky security operatives who had searched Libby on her arrival hurried inside, followed by their colleagues.
‘Will someone please explain to me what is happening?’ Jack asked.
‘I’m sorry to interrupt,’ the shorter of the two security men began sternly, ‘but a situation has arisen that requires your immediate attention.’
With his own tablet he swiped the screen until a television news channel appeared. He projected it on to one of the television screens on the large wall. It showed a rolling news channel and what appeared to be a distressed woman inside her moving vehicle, scrambling from window to window, banging on the glass with her fists. Libby immediately noticed she was pregnant.
‘Who is this?’ asked the religious rep. Around the image of the distressed stranger, four smaller screens flickered to life. Each appeared to contain other Passengers inside more vehicles, and all were clearly scared and confused.
‘Jack?’ asked the woman in plaid, looking to him for answers. Libby assumed by his blank expression that he had no more knowledge than she did.
‘Turn the volume up,’ he said, as a female news anchor spoke.
‘For those viewers just joining us, we are still trying to verify the validity of this live feed. But if what we are being told is correct, then it appears that four driverless vehicles are no longer under the control of their Passengers. We are still awaiting an official statement but there is speculation that the vehicles you are watching have been hacked.’
‘That’s ridiculous,’ Jack said dismissively. ‘It’s not possible.’
‘They’re scaremongering,’ the woman in plaid replied. ‘How can they broadcast this? It’s irresponsible.’
Jack turned to the shorter of the security operatives. ‘Get me Westminster on a secure line now.’
Libby’s eyes moved from Passenger to Passenger, each of them responding to what was happening to them in contrasting ways. Suddenly, as a fifth screen appeared, her jaw dropped and she struggled to catch her breath.
Chapter 12
CLAIRE ARDEN
The voices of the other trapped Passengers offered Claire a tiny shred of comfort that it wasn’t just her being held against her will. But when the sound from her stereo was switched off as quickly as it had begun, her solitude returned. Anxiety tasted like acid repeating on her so she swallowed hard to hold it back rather than risk having it consume her.
Ben will know what to do, she thought, Ben always knows what to do. She stopped in her tracks – she had momentarily forgotten that she couldn’t call him.
Claire ran through her options. She couldn’t contact the police or her girlfriends for help – that would require too much explaining. It left only one person. Andy. He’s the only one.
She hadn’t seen her estranged brother in person for three Christmases but they had stayed in touch through vague, sporadic voice notes. However, she couldn’t be sure where he was staying since the parole board had granted him an early release. She could only hope that he wasn’t living too far away. If he answered his phone and she told him the whole truth about what had happened earlier that morning, she was sure he wouldn’t judge her. But knowing him as well as only family could, she had no doubt that he would expect to be financially compensated in return for his assistance and his silence.
‘Roxanne,’ she said aloud, the name Ben had christened the car’s operating system. He named it after an ex-girlfriend whom Claire had met once and taken an instant dislike to. Ben had thought it funny. ‘I need you to telephone Andy …’ but she didn’t get the opportunity to say anything else.
‘Communication system offline,’ Roxanne replied. Claire made several attempts to repeat the command but with no success.