“Mayday, mayday! This is the Passenger Vessel Queen of the Nebula declaring an emergency. Does anyone copy?”

Comm Tech 4th class Durrishahwar Jameelah stared at the old fashioned computer screen onto which he’d just typed his SOS. His face set in a mask of concentration and concern, he all but willed the ancient device to answer.

“Please state the nature of your emergency,” a robotic voice intoned from the speaker below the screen.

Jameelah typed quickly, “We’ve lost all but battery power. We’re dead in space.”

Fingers flying over the keyboard, he entered the complex locater equation the First Mate had given him, adding, “The need is urgent. We don’t have much time.”

“Please hold.” said the speaker.

Music began to play, soft, sweet violins intended to soothe, but which had the opposite effect on Jameelah whose face screwed into a frustrated rage.

“Your call is important to us,” interrupted the voice but the rest was lost in hard vacuum and crushed metal as the crippled ship crossed the event horizen.