Allison scratched his head. "You say the code was all right, but then
got spotty?"
"Yes, sir."
Allison looked at Manning. Both were involved in science to a high
degree, Allison as an infrawave researcher; Manning as a computer. Both
had studied the mathematics of communication. Manning nodded soberly.
"You don't suppose they foolishly tried to key the automatic
transmitter?" he asked. "Superimposing a code upon another code would
result in a spotty transmission, since the intermingled transmission
bits would obtain only where both codings delivered a positive
configuration. It might--"
The communications tech broke in scornfully, "The pilot of the
Seventy-nine was aboard. He'd know. Nobody but a complete imbecile
would try to key an automatic distress transmitter."