Miller looked at the manual. The manual looked back. Under "Troubleshooting," it suggested checking the cables. Miller checked the cables. They were tight. It then suggested "Environment Interference."

Miller didn't move the mountains. Instead, he did what every radio operator since the dawn of electricity has done when the manual fails: he turned it off, waited ten seconds, and turned it back on.

It was 0200 hours in a valley that smelled of wet dust and diesel. The mission depended on a satellite link that currently refused to exist.