The voiceover explained that these beings were all in a basket attached to a hot-air balloon that was running out of fuel. Several of them would have to be thrown out if the others were to survive. “In what order,” the voiceover asked, “will you throw them out? Note: The last two participants are required to work together to come up with a solution.”

Wolf took in the list on the screen. A two-month old kitten. A child with inoperable cancer. A fashion model. An elderly man. A math teacher. A priest. A young scientist destined to work out a cure for cancer. A murderer. A guide dog. A blind woman. The last surviving member of a rare species of elephant . . .

“Right,” said Lucy, taking her pen and looking focused and businesslike. “We should really get rid of the kitten first, although it’s light, so it won’t actually make that much difference. Why didn’t they give us the weights of everything in the balloon? That would have been much more useful than what we do know. Okay. We have to look for traps, and potential flaws in logic. For example, if there really is going to be a cure for cancer, then maybe the boy could be saved, although it says ‘inoperable’ so actually it’s probably too late for him. If the elephant really is the last in its species then it won’t get the chance to mate. It may as well be extinct anyway, and it’s heavy. . . .”

Lucy started making a list in the notebook in front of her, sighing and crossing things out.

“Well?” she said to Wolf. “What do you think? Elephant, murderer, elderly man, kitten—”

“I’m not doing this,” said Wolf.

“What do you mean?” said Lucy.

Wolf shrugged. “I’m not taking part in their psychotic, unrealistic role-play.”

“But you have to.”

“Who says? A bunch of freaks in metallic outfits? What are they going to do?”

“Eliminate you.”

“Well, I haven’t been eliminated yet, and I’m following the same reasoning I’ve used up until now.”

“But—”

“Come on. Surely you don’t believe in this ridiculous scenario? All these people in a basket with a kitten, a dog and an elephant being flown in a hot air balloon? Please. If I had to make a decision about saving lives I’d rather it was based on something realistic that could actually happen. Why doesn’t the balloon just land?”

“What if it can’t, because it’s too heavy?”

“How did it take off, then? And who put me in charge? Am I like the pilot of this balloon? If so I should be trying to find ways to keep everyone safe, not looking for ways to murder them.”

“But to save people, you might have to—”