“The results will appear on your page any moment now.  There is no need to refresh your browser, it will do it automatically.”  Gray stared off to the left of the camera, his face illuminated by the reflection of the web page he was studying.  He looked over to the right of the camera, then back to the web page.  After a few moments of contemplation he addressed his audience once more.

“You will see that the majority of the votes on your screen want me to free Simon Arkin.  The results are: Live, four million, eight hundred and six thousand, two hundred and five; Die, three million, six hundred and fifty one thousand, eight hundred and eighty four.”

Gray stood and positioned the camera towards Simon’s cell.  He entered, moved to his right and put his hand out towards the wall.  Moments later the single bare bulb suspended over the struggling prisoner flickered into life.

Harvey, Hammond and Small, along with millions of others, watched as Tom Gray stood in front of Simon Arkin, staring at the figure in the chair.  Harvey was about to refresh the page, thinking the feed had frozen, when Gray suddenly drew his weapon, an automatic pistol, and fired a single shot.  The execution was obscured by Gray’s frame, but as he approached Arkin and checked the pulse on his neck, Harvey saw a red patch growing around the slumped figure’s heart.

“Shit,” Harvey muttered.

On the screen, Gray turned off the light and closed the cell door before returning to speak to the camera.  “I have several computers based around the country, each one sending emails at the rate of one per minute, using a different email address each time.  These emails are stored in a database which matches the outgoing email database, and checks that each has arrived and that they haven’t been tampered with.  All of the emails had ‘Die’ in the body, but they were never counted in the final vote.  However, it seems that a number of them have been changed to ‘Live’ along the way.

“We will never know the actual results, because the Government have interfered with the voting.  I asked them not to interfere.  In fact, I think I made it pretty clear that they shouldn’t interfere, but they ignored my warnings.  That is why Simon Arkin won’t be going home today.”

Gray spent a moment on his laptop, then addressed the camera again.

“Okay, the database has been reset and voting for the next candidate, Adrian Harper starts now.  Adrian is 19, from Gravesend, Kent, and his crimes include aggravated burglary, assault, and numerous counts of theft of a motor vehicle.  It’s time to get emailing.  Don’t forget to vote on my proposed law changes, too.  Just click the ‘Justice Bill’ link at the top of the screen for further instructions.”

Gray sat back in his chair.  “I will be back at the same time tomorrow, when hopefully the results will reflect the views of the people of Britain, not the views of the Government.”