The Passengers(29)

Inevitably, her attention returned to Jude. She was desperate to speak to him again but of all the conversations she had rehearsed should she have found him, none fitted these circumstances. She also didn’t know whether to believe the Hacker when he informed them they would have time to talk later. And only now was it registering that he had referred to them as ‘sweethearts’. How had the Hacker known there had been something, albeit brief, between them? Had he been following her attempts to trace Jude? For how long had she been on his radar?

Libby realised that while she was lost in thought, the room had become muted. Even the blusterous Jack was reticent to speak now he was aware he was on camera. In fact all the jurors had become less vocal since they’d been publicly identified.

She assumed they were all waiting to hear the Hacker’s instructions. But he wasn’t hurrying to impart his plan. Libby had an inkling he was waiting to be asked. To him, this was a game and he enjoyed the interaction with his players. So when no one else appeared willing, she stepped up to the plate.

‘What do you want me to do next?’ she said.

‘I thought you’d never ask,’ the Hacker replied. ‘But first, a polite reminder. One of the many benefits of the electric motors and circuit boards that operate an autonomous car is that it’s freed up room inside them, far more than diesel or petrol vehicles ever had. There’s more legroom, the seats are larger, there is more space for storage for suitcases, shopping and several kilos of explosives. So, if any of the remaining seven vehicles under my control are interfered with in any way whatsoever, I will not hesitate to detonate more. If any person, persons, emergency service or armed forces personnel attempt to bring one to a standstill, I will detonate it. If anyone encourages it to stray from its programmed path or messes with signs or traffic signals, I will detonate it. If anyone tries to break a Passenger free, I will detonate it. If anyone slows it down, I will detonate it. I would not go to all this effort only to make empty threats. Have I made myself clear?’

‘Yes,’ Libby replied.

‘You’ll forgive me for saying this, Libby, but your word carries little gravitas. I’m referring to you, Jack. What do you have to say? Will you adhere to my rules?’

Jack hesitated before he replied with a simple ‘Yes.’

‘I’m pleased to hear it. But as we all know, saying something and doing something are two very different things. I need to know that you’re not just paying me lip service. I explained to you earlier that each of the Passengers would be dead by the end of the morning in a collision. In an effort to show you I’m not as heartless as you think I am, I’m willing to allow one of them to exit this process without hurting so much as a hair on their heads. While the remaining six cars will still all collide with one another in two hours and five minutes from now, one lucky Passenger will walk away unscathed.’

‘Who?’ Libby asked, her eyes drawn straight to Jude. Raised voices coming from the other side of the closed doors distracted her.

‘First things first. To fully appreciate what it feels like to save a life, you must take one. Between you, you are to decide which Passenger to sacrifice to save the others.’

‘We can’t do that!’ Libby exclaimed. ‘You can’t ask us to murder someone!’

The noise from the other side of the doors grew louder.

‘We are not going to send anyone to their deaths,’ said Muriel adamantly, and folded her arms.

‘What if I told you that if you didn’t kill one person, then I would kill them all? In front of me I have a keyboard and four-figure command at my disposal. If I type in those numbers, each car will be detonated at exactly the same time.’

They heard a gentle tapping sound as the Hacker made his first keystroke.

‘He’s bluffing,’ said Jack.

A second key was pressed.

‘He could be hitting anything. We don’t know.’

The sound of a third keystroke followed.

‘Do you really want to take the risk?’ the Hacker asked. Nobody answered.

‘Choosing someone, it’s … it’s impossible,’ said Libby.

‘Not always,’ the Hacker replied. ‘Allow me to make a comparison. Say for example, two of the cars contained almost identical Passengers, two men – they’re the same age, are of the same appearance, work in the same careers, have similar dependents – which one would you choose to die?’

‘I couldn’t.’

‘What if I told you one of the men had a history of sexual violence against women? Would that make a difference?’

‘That’s hypothetical; what you’re asking us to do is real,’ said Libby.

‘You haven’t answered me.’

‘The sex offender,’ interrupted Jack. ‘That’s the answer he wants, just give it to him.’

‘I’d choose neither,’ said Libby. ‘I wouldn’t make that decision.’

‘Then you’d be sending them both to their deaths,’ said the Hacker. ‘How would you feel being responsible for the murder of an innocent man?’

‘I wouldn’t be responsible because you’re the one controlling their cars. You’re the one killing them.’

‘Yet I’d be the one sleeping soundly of a night while you’d remain trying to convince yourself that taking the moral high ground was the right thing to do. But quietly, you’d know that you did the wrong thing.’