History Main / LostInTransmission

* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW'':
** The end of the first issue of ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'' has a transmission arrive claiming to be "from the future", pockmarked with static. The list of cryptic instructions that they not open the coffin or go to Delphi gets through mostly intact, but the final instruction just trails off into pure noise after "For the sake of the Cybertronian race itself, please don't-" [[spoiler:In season 2, we get to see some of our heroes actually send the full broadcast while time travelling for other reasons, and Cyclonus yells at them because nearly everything they said to avoid had a net positive outcome.]]
** When Starscream attempts to declare a new holiday in the Christmas special for ''ComicBook/TheTransformersTillAllAreOne'', his idea is that people "should honour each other - [[ItsAllAboutMe by honouring me!]]" and spend it being nice to him and giving him nice things, but a failure in broadcasting it ended up cutting off those last few words and making everyone else think it's a [[YouMeanXMas general celebration of fellowship and good cheer where you give gifts to your friends]]. Starscream is, as you would expect, livid.
--->'''Narration:''' For although they dutifully broadcast the tape / Longtooth cut off the end, which changed the whole shape / of the speech that Starscream had given / and ruined the aims for which he had striven.

* If you've ever seen copies of those documents concerning the military's UFO research, you'd wonder if someone didn't just block out 80% of the text just to screw with you. It's in weird places too. Half a paragraph will be blocked, only to pick up on stuff like "...to which, the witness responded, 'I don't know WHAT they would want with my cattle, that's why I called you.'" The Wiki/SCPFoundation's use of oddly placed [DATA EXPUNGED] probably owes something to these.

* Wiki/SCPFoundation:

* You have [[ApocalypticLog some kind of communication]] or [[GreatBigBookOfEverything tome of information]], part of which is missing or has been either intentionally or unintentionally redacted, leaving something much more mysterious, suggestive and/or humorous than the original could possibly have been. What you're left with is an accidental list of NoodleImplements with no instructions. Or a non-sequitur without the information that would have naturally linked Point A to Point Z and you are left wondering just exactly ''how the heck'' Point A and Point Z could ''possibly'' be connected. The Wiki/SCPFoundation example below is this type.

''—connection reestablished—'' [[OrphanedPunchline then I said "But you're the second one!!"]] Man, everyone was so ''—connection lost—''

* In ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens'', as Gallaxhar is [[TheUnreveal telling his story]] and being cloned (when he's downed into the cloning machine, we can't hear him) at the same time.

* ''Literature/HouseOfLeaves'' makes use of this occasionally. For example, two of Will Navidson's dreams are recounted, and the third dream is said to be very unsettling and key to understanding his actions. Naturally, [[DirectLineToTheAuthor Johnny misplaced those pages]].
** There's also the chapter where Navidson sends samples from the [[color:blue:house]] to be scientifically analyzed, which seems like it would have answered a lot...except Johnny accidentally most of those pages.

* The entire plot of Ellen Raskin's ''The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel)'' revolves around this trope. "Noel ''glub'' C ''blub'' all... I ''glub'' new...." Said by a drowning man (who survives but then vanishes), and the main characters spend the rest of the book trying to figure out what it means.
%%* ''Literature/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'' loves this trope.

* In ''Literature/TheWestingGame'', this trope occurs when Sam Westing's will is revealed. One character makes a stupid joke during the reading, and none of the heirs realizes that they've missed a crucial clue as a result until much later. [[spoiler: Turns out the trope was ''deliberately'' invoked, as the joker has a hidden agenda and distracted everyone on purpose.]]

* The Ebenezum trilogy: The oracle is a team of three women, each of whom gives one part of the prophecy. One of them sick and is unable to announce her part. However they order the three, the missing woman's part of the prophecy is the important one.
* In ''Literature/TheBelgariad'''s second part, a crucial piece of prophecy is garbled under an ink blot. Garion figures out something is there because the previous and subsequent sentences can't possibly go together. [[spoiler:The important pieces of the prophecy are written ''on top of'' one another, and sealed with magic such that only exposing it to the light of the Orb of Aldur will allow them to be read. Garion works this out when he realizes he keeps getting irrationally angry and looking away if he studies the blot for too long.]]
* Without warning a U.S. guided missile destroyer receives orders to carry out a nuclear strike on the Soviet city of Orel and its nearby ICBM silos in ''The Last Ship''. After the captain radios his report that the launch was carried out, a reply from the Navy is hopelessly garbled halfway through the message, leaving the ship without orders and without any idea what's happening. (It's the ''last'' ship because, as they soon learn, a nuclear war has left most of Earth uninhabitable.)
* In the novel ''Heir Apparent,'' the main character lampshades this trope. She gets stuck in a virtual reality game with no chance of getting out unless she wins, and the arcade owners send in a video recording of a worker there to give her advice on winning. He informs her of the situation, but is whisked away before he can complete the sentence "And whatever you do, don't...." The main character dryly notes "But naturally, I couldn't make that part out."
* The message from the future which the four heroes of ''{{Literature/Dinoverse}}'' receive while in the Cretaceous period starts with the one saying the message claiming he doesn't know how much time he has to tell it, and cuts off as he's about to tell them what they most importantly should not do.
* ''Literature/GalaxyOfFear: The Hunger'' has a record of a LostColony. A woman on her deathbed, previously noting that she wasn't going to log much anymore since the datapad was running low on power, starts to explain what they had had to do to [[NoPartyLikeADonnerParty feed the children]] when its battery dies. Years later the heroes bring new batteries and get to view the entries, but the last one still cuts out.
* Towards the beginning of ''Literature/JohnDiesAtTheEnd'', when John is giving David instructions through [[MakesSenseInContext a psychic connection channeled through a bratwurst phone]]:
-->"It's wearing off. Don't talk, just listen. Go inside and --" ''static'' "-- and as long as you absolutely remember not to do that, you'll be fine. Good luck."
* Older example: Douglas Hofstadter's book ''Gödel, Escher, Bach'' comments on the sentence "This sentence no verb." His later ''Scientific American'' columns on self-referential sentences take the idea further, and includes the contribution from David Stork that "It goes without saying that..."

* In ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', [[DirtyOldWoman Nanny Ogg]]'s Cookbook is censored at regular intervals for being deemed obscene by the editors. Her chapter on "of manners and convenances in bed" is almost completely covered by the editors' memos, and only weird, out-of-context fragments are readable for added NoodleImplement.
* In the ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' book ''The Jedi Path'', the prophecy of TheChosenOne is conspicuously redacted. Luke suspects that Palpatine is responsible.

* ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'':
** In [=GlaDOS'=] opening announcement:
--> "For your own safety, and the safety of others, please refrain from ''*crackle* *static*'' Por favor de donde fallar muchos gracias de fallar gracias. ''*crackle*'' stand back. The portal will open in three... two... one..."
** She does it again when explaining the safety instructions for the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device, and there is also this pearl:
---> "[what we said before] was a complete fabrication. We will stop enhancing the truth in three... two... *[static]*"
** And under no circumstances should the portal device be ~BZZT~.
** ''VideoGame/Portal2'' gives us this gem. For added laughs, it's played over a graphical depiction of a giant leopard-patterned turret invading the UN, which becomes a BrickJoke later.
--->'''Announcer:''' If the earth is being governed by a manner of animal king, sentient cloud, or other governing body that either refuses to, or is incapable of, listening to reason, th... ''[recording slows to a stop]''

* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' there's an item called "Nat Pagel's Guide to Extreme Anglin'" that's missing every page but the last. What does it say? "... and so that's where you'll find the legendary sword of the Scarlet Highlord, [[InfinityPlusOneSword Ashbringer]]. Ain't it amazin' what you run into in an ordinary day of fishin'?"
* In the GDI campaign of ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianDawn'', there's a mission where you must sneak a Commando into a Nod base and blow up one specific building. Which one? Well, your mission briefing was over a black and white, fuzzy, static-filled channel: "Make sure you take out the - (bzzzzzzz) - and get the -([[CensoredForComedy bzzzzzzz]]) - out of there!"
** If you blow up the wrong building, you get to do a follow-up mission where you attack the base with a conventional force, but the enemy has had time to expand their defenses.
** If you count the number of stars representing static in the objective menu you realise that only one structure has that specific amount of letters.
** There are a number of ways of working this out. Probably the most common is "What's the hardest building in the base to attack?" followed by, "What's the most important building in the base?". Other possibilities include "What's the only building that could pose a threat to my OneManArmy?" and "What building is there only one of?".
* In ''VideoGame/RebelAssault II'', the first mission CutScene has a static - ridden message from a freighter pilot, mentioning "...new weapons..." and generally foreshadowing. Several missions later, you recover the freighter itself and can receive the full message. The static is done so that if you know the full message, you can just tell most of it when reviewing the original.
* Wedge Antilles, during the Assault on Kile II mission in the first ''VideoGame/RogueSquadron'' game, ends up having his transmission cut as he ends up shot down by an ambush of TIE interceptors.
* Shows up in some of the {{Apocalyptic Log}}s of the first and second ''VideoGame/SystemShock'' games; specifically, the logs about SHODAN and her plans. Occasionally in the first game, SHODAN actively disrupts messages sent to you.
--> '''Rebecca Lansing:''' "They're trying to jam transmissions! We have some new evidence about what happened. It looks as if Diego--" <BZZT!>"
--> '''SHODAN:''' "I prefer a quiet station. Thank you."

* One of the Marine logs in ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'' has it abruptly ending in static.
* This is how the events of the first ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' started: Gray Fox was infiltrating Outer Heaven and scouting the various locations and the items inside, and reporting to FOXHOUND. He eventually stumbled on evidence that Metal Gear is being developed. However, he was caught, and he was about to say something regarding "Metal Gear", but the transmission was cut, with his last/only words before the cutting of transmission being "Metal Gear..."
* ''VideoGame/DeadSpace2'': "Isaac it very important that you..."
* ''VideoGame/ReturnToZork'': When you leave the mayor, Trembyle calls you through Tele-Orb: "That old bore... Oh, that reminds me. Did I tell you about that boar we ran into in the Forest of the Spirits..." and the orb goes out. When you replace the battery, Trembyle finishes the phrase "...use it wisely." The former is a useful hint, the latter is lost forever.
* The 8-bit game ''Starquake'' starts with a touchdown report that becomes increasingly garbled with each line. The last legible words stand for "computer malfunction". This is all the intro you get.
* In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'', GDI mission 6, the mission briefing is really short and staticky: "Use a GDI Commando to infiltrate the Nod base. *** ** destroy the *** so that the base is incapacitated. Get in, hit it, and get the [[CurseCutShort ***]] out."
* In the ''VideoGame/CrashBandicootNSaneTrilogy'', this is [[InvokedTrope deliberately invoked]] in certain Cortex communications in Crash 2. This appears to be because the script is exactly the same as [[VideoGame/CrashBandicoot2CortexStrikesBack the original game]], which is a problem because certain aspects have been changed (for example, how to access boss fights, or the placement of items around the level entrances). Rather than re-record the dialogue, static was introduced that [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial conveniently covers up any contradicting elements]].
* ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'': On [[GhostPlanet Ilos]], Shepard and team find an old console with an emergency transmission from the last days of the Prothean Empire. However, after fifty-thousand years it's decayed too badly to contain any meaningful information. Then the message changes to a different, utterly panicked voice.
-->''Act of desperation [...] the Conduit! [...] Called "Reapers" [...] Cannot be stopped! [...] CANNOT BE STOPPED!''
* ''VideoGame/TheDarksideDetective: A Fumble in the Dark'': [=McQueen=] manages to make contact with the missing Dooley, and the connection holds while they exchange greetings but starts breaking up and then cuts out entirely right when Dooley starts giving useful information about where he is.

->''[[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLifeTV Tropes will ruin your li-]]S#$%^&BY*UN()GFBO*&^#TR$@VB@#Y#&*IOHYE&R*IWBTERW&--[[TheStinger ERROR 404: STINGER NOT FOUND, PLEASE TRY AGAIN LATER.]]''

->''[[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife TV Tropes will ruin your li-]]S#$%^&BY*UN()GFBO*&^#TR$@VB@#Y#&*IOHYE&R*IWBTERW&--[[TheStinger ERROR 404: STINGER NOT FOUND, PLEASE TRY AGAIN LATER.]]''

** Another ''Python'' gag that uses this trope comes from the "How to Irritate People" sketch.

* In ''Literature/TheBelgariad'''s second part, a crucial piece of prophecy is garbled under an ink blot. Garion figures out something is there because the previous and subsequent sentences can't possibly go together.

* Future Shop had an advertisement which would start with an employee answering questions, which in this case, was answering how to restore files on a hard drive after a crash, but it would get interrupted by an announcement of a sale at the store.

* In the second season of ''Anime/StarBlazers'' (''Anime/UchuuSenkanYamato''), Trelaina's message to Earth is almost completely lost in a radio-jam by the Comet Empire, to the point that it is mostly "ip ip eh" noises mixed in with several word-halves, and yet [[TheCaptain Wildstar]] ''still'' senses it is important.

* In ''LightNovel/TheRisingOfTheShieldHero'' several shrines on the [[spoiler:Spirit Turtle]] contained warnings and explanations from past Heroes. Key phrases and words had been lost over time, destroying the most critical information. [[spoiler:Naofumi later suspects this to have been done by the entity behind the waves to deny future generations vital knowledge]].

* Played straight in ''Film/{{Screamers}}''.
-->There's a [[LaserGuidedTykeBomb new kind of screamer]]. Do ''not'' let it into the perimeter, over.\\
I missed that last part, over... (static)
* In ''Film/PlanetTerror'', we get a "Missing Reel" screen. During the missing reel, it's implied, we'd have gotten to see Creator/RoseMcGowan totally naked, plus the entire plot surrounding Ray's mysterious origins would have been explained. Hilariously, when the film comes back, ''everything is on fire'', and [[NoodleIncident we'll never know why]].

* ''Film/SuperheroMovie'' plays with this trope when Rick Riker receives a message from Professor X and it keeps buffering so the important info is lost and it sounds like something else.
* In the form of PlotBasedVoiceCancellation, ''Film/KillBill'' volume 1 delays the audience finding out The Bride's real name, [[spoiler:Beatrix Kiddo]]. Slightly funny and disturbing when you realize [[spoiler:Bill had been calling her Kiddo all along, which until the reveal seemed like a term of endearment]].

* ''Film/CrimsonTide''. The main conflict revolves around the differing opinions of the captain and the executive officer after they receive an interrupted emergency message that begins "Nuclear missile laun...". Having previously been ordered to launch their nuclear weapons, the captain feels they must launch immediately while the executive officer wants confirmation first. There's a RaceAgainstTheClock on both sides to prevent what they both see as an unthinkable outcome.
* In ''Film/EventHorizon'', the distress signal sent by the eponymous starship contains the Latin phrase ''liberate me'' ("save me"). It was later realized that the message was actually [[spoiler:'''''libera te''' tute'''me'''t ex inferis'' ("save yourself from Hell")]].
* Jarringly subverted in ''Film/TheSpanishPrisoner'', where several points of fact, detail, or exposition are obscured by environmental noise or bad camera angles as a deliberate signal to the audience ''of the movie'' that they are Macguffins.
* ''Film/BlazingSaddles''. As Bart approaches Rock Ridge, Gabby Johnson's shouts are obscured by the tolling of a bell, and are misheard by Sam Johnson as "The sheriff is near". It doesn't help that Gabby's normal speech is peppered with "authentic frontier gibberish".
* ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail''. 'Here may be found the last words of Joseph of Arimathea. He who is valiant and pure of spirit may find the Holy Grail in the Castle of [[HisNameIs aaarrrrggh]]'.
-->'''Maynard:''' He must have [[AlmostDeadGuy died while carving it]].\\
'''King Arthur:''' Look, if he was dying [[LampshadeHanging he wouldn't bother to carve "aaargh", he'd just say it]].\\
'''Galahad:''' Perhaps he was dictating.\\
'''King Arthur:''' Oh shut up!

* In ''Film/DisneysRocketMan'', Randall explains what the Martian dust storm they're experiencing is like to NASA. [[FunnyBackgroundEvent As the video jumps, Julie looks more and more concerned at what he's saying]], implying that even with the full transmission [[CloudCuckooLander it wouldn't have made much sense.]]
-->'''Randall''': It reminds me of a French Canadian - tennis racket stuck to the back of - only snow goose - bubbling out of my sister's - Brazilian donkey! I don't think I can make myself any clearer!

* In ''{{Literature/Discworld}}'', [[DirtyOldWoman Nanny Ogg]]'s Cookbook is censored at regular intervals for being deemed obscene by the editors. Her chapter on "of manners and convenances in bed" is almost completely covered by the editors' memos, and only weird, out-of-context fragments are readable for added NoodleImplement.

* ''VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh'' is loaded with this. For about three-quarters of the game, Jet's receiving incomplete, cryptic, and static-filled transmissions from [=Ma3a=] or "Guest." In "Guest's" case [[spoiler: it turns out Alan is making do with an old arcade game and junk from the storage closet he's locked in]]. Unfortunately, the poor communication ''does'' kill [[spoiler: Alan doesn't realize it's his son that's trying to help Ma3a]] and Jet doesn't get the message [[spoiler: ''not'' to compile the Tron Legacy ([[Film/TronLegacy no relation]]) code]] until it is ''way'' too late.

* It's '''not''' a case of misunderstanding what was said or a translation error.

* The Australian ''Late Show'', Tony Martin and Mick Molloy were discussing Thai porno movies, and the station kept having "transmission problems" just as they got to the "interesting" parts.

->"How are we going to get to the Moon if we can't talk between two or three buildings?"

* In ''Series/NotTheNineOClockNews'', Creator/RowanAtkinson plays Zak The Alien who breaks into a BBC transmission to warn the earth about impending doom. He gets as far as "Beware the one who calls himself Creator/TerryWogan. He is a Zuon from the planet Tharg and cannot be trusted..." before his universal translator breaks down. It keeps breaking down.

* In ''Series/NotTheNineOClockNews'', Creator/RowanAtkinson plays Zak The Alien who breaks into a BBC transmission to warn the earth about impending doom. He gets as far as "Beware the one who calls himself ''Creator/TerryWogan. He is a Zuon from the planet Tharg and cannot be trusted...'' before his universal translator breaks down. It keeps breaking down.
--> {{gibberish}} - bloody Duracell!

-->'''Newhart:''' "It says here 'Under no conditions...' oh, someone spilled coffee all over this thing..."