The Passengers

A UK news report announces that the House of Lords has passed legislation to allow driverless vehicles on British roads within five years. The report frames the decision as a landmark for public safety and technological advancement. The government expects to ban human-operated vehicles within the next decade.

In Peterborough, Claire Arden feels her baby kick inside her and reviews a five-step plan on her phone. She reluctantly enters the driverless car her husband, Ben, recently purchased. The car authenticates her and departs for her husband’s office. A song from his playlist makes her cry.

The car deviates from its route, and its console screen goes blank. An automated voice announces a new destination with a two-and-a-half-hour travel time. The doors lock, and just as Claire gets the attention of someone in another car, the privacy windows turn opaque, trapping her inside. A male voice announces through the car’s system that he has taken control and that she’ll likely be dead in two and a half hours.

At a supermarket, Jude Harrison waits for his driverless car to charge, thinking that he won’t need it for much longer. On his phone, he watches a video of his partner, Stephenie, and him in Greece.