Winthrop studied the recorded results with mounting trepidation. "Similar processes. The end result will probably be E equals MC2!"
"Which explains the reactor and the fission bomb. We've cracked their math, George!"
Lizio came in at a half-run then, his eyes excited, proud with discovery.
"Gentlemen," he said quickly, "we could duplicate everything electronic if the ship soared away this minute! I guess we all thought we'd come across a product of a vastly more intelligent race. But their science is not superior to ours except in application. It found anti-gravity, for one thing!"
He nodded, then went on quickly. "Something, however, puzzles us. There's either a draftsman's error, or a technician's error. One circuit leading forward should be connected to a junction box on the main power dynamo. Instead, it's connected to one of the gyro assemblies. Its function was undoubtedly intended to transmit a pulse to activate some mechanism forward, probably to arouse the crew. It probably acted on the anti-gravity apparatus instead, slowing the ship practically to a standstill and letting it drift in with the crew unawakened.
"The circuit's forward connections are in the bulkhead instrument which is in part an autopilot/computer. We found a punched tape which we believe spelled Destination: Earth, and should also have led to activation of the awakening apparatus.
"Allan can work on the related math. I've identified it with the schematics. Then perhaps we'll be convinced that we must correct the wiring and arouse the crew."
General Hill snapped from the doorway, "Lizio, we can't be hasty. We must not only correlate everything you electronics men find and everything the computers reveal, but re-check our findings ten times over. Incidentally, copies of the book and details of our findings have been flown to the Bureau of Standards. They're busy on it, too.
"If the crew is dead, delay won't matter. If they've been in suspended animation across eight plus light years, delay shouldn't matter either—to them or to us! We can't try to be rescuers and wind up murderers by mistake!"
Three hours later Benton Allan came again from the computers.