The Passengers(39)

‘What are they saying?’ asked Matthew.

‘Let’s have a looksy. @cyberagga14 says, “#libby is so brave. #girlpower”. @sky_fits_heaven writes, “The only 1 2 stand up against the Hacker. #pussypower”. And @liquidlove69 says, “Heartbreaking. Still bawling my eyes out. Keep strong Libby”. The hashtag #respectforLibby is trending across all the platforms. Our girl’s gone global.’

‘One minute they hate my shoes and the next I’m a hero,’ Libby deadpanned.

‘Oh, the shoes still aren’t getting any love,’ added Cadman.

Libby took a deep breath and looked up to the ceiling. ‘Okay, you win. Why will Jude need my support in the next hour?’

‘I’ve shown you what it’s like to send a person to their death; now I’m going to demonstrate how it feels to give one of them a life beyond their ordeal. Because over the next hour, you will each decide which of the final six Passengers you would like to save. The Passenger with the most votes from you and the public will be spared when the vehicles collide.’

‘So to save one life, we must send five others to their graves,’ said Libby.

‘For every action, there’s a reaction.’

‘It’s another impossible decision.’

‘You said it was impossible last time but I can’t see Bilquis in her vehicle, can you? You can make anything a reality if you have determination, motivation and greed. If you don’t believe me, ask Jack.’

As was becoming more apparent, when the Hacker directed something towards Jack that only the two of them understood, Jack responded with silence.

‘I don’t want to do this,’ Libby replied.

‘Keep one alive or kill them all, the choice is yours.’

‘But it’s not a choice, is it?’ Libby returned to her seat and held her head in her hands.

‘In hiding behind your position as jurors, you have all made decisions on who has been to blame in accidents without ever learning who the victims really are. To you, they’re only case numbers. But the Passengers sitting before you are more than that. I am going to make your decision a little easier. I’m going to give each jury member the opportunity to lend their support to one Passenger – you will interview them to discover why your fellow jurors and the public should spare their life. You can ask them anything you desire and it’s up to them how honestly they answer. But I suggest that it’s in each Passenger’s best interest to be as transparent as possible. Then, once everyone has had the opportunity to promote their worth, you and the public will decide upon the sole survivor. Libby, shall we start with you? Who would you like to support?’

‘Jude,’ she replied with little hesitation. She could not lose the opportunity to talk to him directly – and perhaps for the last time. She directed her forced smile in his direction and he reciprocated. I’ll do my best for you, she thought and, for a moment, it was as if he understood her and gave her a look that said I know.

‘Jack, you’re next,’ said the Hacker.

‘Miss Arden. She didn’t ask to have her car hijacked.’

‘And the others did?’ asked Matthew.

‘But neither did her unborn child. Surely we can all agree she and her baby must be spared?’

‘Muriel, in whose direction are you leaning towards?’ the Hacker asked.

‘Shabana Khartri.’

‘Of course,’ muttered Jack. ‘Your devotion to our friends with a darker skin tone is duly noted.’

‘She is a mother to five children who depend on her.’

‘Perhaps one of the questions you could ask her is why has someone who has been in our country for almost twenty years not yet bothered to learn our language? Not that she’d be able to understand you, of course.’

Muriel rolled her eyes. ‘You don’t know her circumstances.’

‘We don’t know any of their circumstances. But that small piece of knowledge tells me that she doesn’t value Britain and the opportunities we have afforded her. She has not ingratiated herself into our society.’

Libby noted that as Jack spoke, his voice was growing louder and he was positioning himself more in the direction of a camera following him. He’s playing to the audience, she thought. He’s being an MP.

‘So you’re saying we should impose a death sentence upon her because she can’t speak English?’ asked Libby. ‘What about her family? You’re showing yourself up as an old racist, Jack.’

‘Don’t even try and play that card with me,’ Jack scoffed. ‘I’d be saying exactly the same thing if she were white and European. As for her family, she has more than double our national average of children. How old are they?’

‘We don’t know.’

‘So they could be all adults?’

‘She’s thirty-eight, so no.’

‘It’s likely her family are relying on her financially,’ Muriel continued.

‘You mean relying on us taxpayers financially.’

‘When was the last time you paid any tax?’ asked Matthew. ‘I assume your money is squirreled away in offshore accounts. Well, it was until the Hacker shared it with the world.’

Jack ignored him and continued to argue with Muriel. ‘Would you really be choosing Mrs Khartri if the cameras weren’t upon us?’