History Main / DistressCall

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* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': A plot point when Mariko and several other mutineers trapped in the abandoned Siberian Monarch outpost plot to get a jury-rigged distress call out to Monarch, but they need to work around those whom are still loyal to Alan Jonah and they need [[TwoBeingsOneBody San and Vivienne]]'s help.

* Creator/StanislawLem's "The Albatross": This short story epitomizes a cycle of distress and help. After the spaceship ''Albatross''[='=] nuclear drive overheats, rendering it helpless and its crew's lives in danger, nearby ships rush to the rescue with such urgency that their own drives overheat. We see the viewpoint character as his own ship prepares to join [[LemmingCops half the fleet]] in a mad dash to rescue the rescuers...

* Creator/AnneMcCaffrey's ''[[Literature/DragonRidersOfPern Dragonsdawn]]'': The colonists could've sent a distress beacon into space after the Threadfall, but this would most likely have brought scavengers down on them, who would pick over the bones of the colony regardless of whether there was anyone still alive or not. They decided not to call for help. [[spoiler:A rogue group of colonists fire it off anyway, which caused interesting things several generations down the road]].

** ''ComicBook/TheKillersOfKrypton'': As poking around a destroyed Kryptonian outpost, Z'ndr Kol finds a recording of a settler sending a distress call to ask help because the colony was under attack.

** ''ComicBook/SupergirlsGreatestChallenge'': The real plot begins when Kara receives a call of the Legion of Super-heroes summoning her to the 30th century.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'' sees the hero sending out a looped distress call as Diana and a cosmonaut are sent careening into deep space by a sabotaged bit of repurposed Apocalyptian Tech. Diana figures that since they're traveling so quickly in a unsteerable mess hoping their signal gets picked up by some of the many extraterrestrials in the DCU is their best hope. Those who respond right when they're about to run out of breathable air are [[TheEmpire less than friendly]].

* '''Non-Distress Call:''' The call is made, the BigDamnHeroes arrive... and there's nothing serious going on. The distress call was just a selfish request to rapid help with something mundane. Guaranteed to piss off the responders and the caller may face charges for wasting first responders' time.
* '''Warning Beacon:''' The little-used warning beacon is often confused for a distress beacon, but is in actuality an attempt (either by {{Precursors}} or the last expedition) to be [[NeglectfulPrecursors responsible]] and keep curious parties from coming anywhere near the certain death that awaits them. Of course, there would be no plot if they immediately decode it or heed it, now would there? Besides, they [[CuriosityKilledTheCast should have factored in the lure]] of SchmuckBait and thought of just keeping silent.

* '''Repeating Message:''' One of the above that is broadcast on a loop in some way. Adds more mystery to the whole thing, you usually won't know how long the broadcast has been uselessly repeating its message, and if you do expect it to be for a long period of time. Also creates an atmosphere of loneliness and isolation, the beacon replaying throughout the ages again and again in the hopes that ''someone'' will hear it, however no one else usually has. It adds more mystery and menace, since iou can't ask questions. It may be a trap.

** Some Smart Phones have an emergency setting that causes them to speed-dial Emergency Services if the user presses the power/screen-off button 3 times.
* Ringing village bells as an alarm that invaders are coming is likely OlderThanFeudalism, as the first metal bells date to 2000 BC. We don't know if these bells were used for warnings, but it seems likey that if you're in the bell tower and you see an incoming enemy horde, you'd want to wake your fellow villagers.

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''.
** Subverted in "[[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS1E2Parallax Parallax]]". The subversion? [[spoiler:It was their own distress call that had been sent back in time and distorted in transmission, after Voyager was trapped in a black hole.]]
** In "[[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS5E8NothingHuman Nothing Human]]", a damaged vessel from a race of StarfishAliens creates a non-lethal PlanarShockwave that alerts any other starship in the vicinity to its presence. This is because they're so alien the UniversalTranslator doesn't work on them, so a simple SOS won't do.

* Ringing village bells as an alarm that invaders are coming is likely OlderThanFeudalism, as the first metal bells date to 2000 BC. We don't know if these bells were used fir warnings, but it seems likey that if you're in the bell tower and you see an incoming enemy horde, you'd want to wake your fellow villagers.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E8SilenceInTheLibrary "Silence in the Library"]]: River Song and company are responding to one sent by the Library's central computer a century before. The planet's automated defences are so good that they were only just cracked.

* ''VideoGame/StarFox'':

'''Rick:''' One out of ten times, it's a [[InescapableAmbush deadly trap]], but I'm ready to roll those dice!

** ''[[Film/BabylonFiveInTheBeginning In the Beginning]]'' features a distress call that is both genuine and a trap: they call for help from Earth ''and'' lure a Minbari Cruiser into a trap. This is justified as the cruiser wasn't going to help, it returned to finish them off.

-->'''Radioman''': Emergency protocol 90206. Calling Sky Captain. Come in, Sky Captain. Repeat. Calling Sky Captain. Come in, Sky Captain. This is an emergency protocol, 90206. Calling Sky Captain. Sky Captain, do you read? Repeat. Calling Sky Captain. Come in, Sky Captain.
-->'''Sky Captain''': This is Sky Captain. I'm on my way.

-->'''Transmission:''' [[spoiler:[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4DrN9iH5oM#t=7m16s We have risen against the Word of Blake]] [[LastStand and have made our last stand at the regional palace.]] They have taken and killed or enslaved all who resist. It is too late for us. Save yourself and flee this pla-*static*]]
-->'''Natalia:''' [[spoiler:Damn... Too late...]]

* Franchise/ResidentEvil:

--> '''Communications Officer:''' Mayday... mayday... this is the Queen Zenobia... [[spoiler: Don't kill me... I'm... human...]]

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' opens similarly, though this time Zelda is simultaneously trying to help the newly awakened and {{amnesiac|Hero}} Link regain his bearings.
*** Further, players have realized there is an SOS version of this within the music for all four Divine Beasts. [[LateToTheTragedy One that's been sent out constantly for]] [[AndIMustScream 100 years]].
* About half of the star systems in ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series greet you with beeping distress beacons, one of the more prominent is a fake and is a lure for a geth ambush. Only a few are received on time to provide any aid.

SendInTheSearchTeam is one plot based around this. LateToTheTragedy often begins InMediasRes, dropping the audience right into the middle of the chaotic rescue (and/or slaughter).