meshuggahDecember 13, 2012zzplural is right; all evidence indicates that Fifield and Milburn’s signal and feed displays dropped in and out sporadically because of the storm, Janek confirms this is the film. When looked at forensically, their radio and video feed dropping out before they are killed is consistent with the evidence and is exactly what is implied when Janek says to Shaw, “The last time they radioed in was where you found that head.” Thus it is clear their video feed and radio dropped out right after Milburn radioed in.
Indeed, when the storm hits it causes radio degradation and thus their signal comes in and out sporadically on the holographic map, on the radio, the video monitors and they didn’t have a map and only had digital compasses. The crew’s devices on their wrists only read environmental stats like temperature, air, etc, and only triangulate geographic latitude and longitude coordinates of the pups and their own position. Essentially without Janek who has access to the holographic map the crew only have digital compasses but no map. This is important.
When the pups first start scanning, Fifield soon says, “Pups are saying this way”, he’s reading either the latitude or longitude of a couple of pups and their environmental read outs leading them through a straight passage way to the water hole indicating an atmosphere processor generating breathable air. As they pass through more identical, maze-like tunnels and passageways deeper into the temple, knowing where you were or where the exit was in lat/long coordinates, which are useless for navigation without a map, in a foreign, unfamiliar place, with multiple tunnels and passage ways that look the same, with radio interference, without an android, whilst paranoid and stoned will get you lost.
Though Fifield seemed perfectly confident relying on a digital compass, knowing long/lat directions would have been useless since you would have to remember which passage ways or tunnels lead back and when the storm hits the storm causes intermittent radio degradation interfering with their signal that comes in and out sporadically on the holographic map and video monitors. This is why Janek asks for their positions on their compasses later when he finds the ping.
Heck people still get lost with GPS and satnav due to inattentional blindness among other factors; case in point - http://news.discovery.com/autos/gps-navigation-lost-trust-110517.html
The two of them getting lost symbolizes the paradox of man; that despite all his technological advancement and evolution; having travelled light years into space, his navigational skills are still inferior to lower animals and his technology is still thwarted by the elements. It seems many missed the philosophical point here. See here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHdlG_KMAv0
