Polly, the polarizer, was already working. Her internal septum twisted, trying to match the incoming signal’s erratic spin. “It’s… it’s like catching a greased eel!” she strained.
Clive saw it first. His sensor, a simple directional coupler, detected the reverse wave’s magnitude. In 2 milliseconds, he slammed his switch.
Polly smiled a quiet, metallic smile. Rex hummed a low, resonant note.
If it hit the LNA, the amplifier would fry. The rover would be silent. The mission would be lost.
CLACK.
Inside the feed vault, alarms blared.
“Path cleared,” Clive grunted.