Distress Call by Rod A. Galindo is the epic story of a deep space search and rescue mission to find two young girls, the only conscious survivors aboard a disabled merchant marine vessel called the Emerald Pearl. Stranded with a hull breach on the fringes of a remote nebula, the crew is dead, and the only living adults remaining are asleep, out of reach, locked in cryogenic pods.

Told from alternating points of view, the story unfolds through the eyes of Captain Moses Elwick of the rescuing vessel, the GSCS Nightingale, and of the eldest of the two sisters on the stranded Emerald Pearl, Rae Marshall. The action kicks off immediately with 14-year-old Rae’s unexpected awakening in her sleep pod, disoriented, in total darkness, and alone, with an alarm klaxon and emergency instructions to evacuate relentlessly blaring. The scene and tension are vivid, and the weight of her fear and responsibility for her younger sister, Tabitha, is palpable as together they search the ship for help only to discover the horror of their situation. Rae is earnest in her desire to keep her sister safe and shelter her from some of the realities of their plight. She’s a good sister but uneasy about how to comfort and connect with her standoffish sister. Tabby is precocious and sassy, a genius perhaps, but still only a ten-year-old child. She problem-solves as well as any adult in her situation but keeps Mr. Fluffles, her teddy bear, close at hand. The author successfully captures how real sisters act, one minute at each other’s throats and clinging to each other for support the next. Their squabbling was amusing, their situation heart-pounding, and their mutual need to connect heart-wrenching at times.

Captain Moses Elwick is a respected, seasoned career leader who cares deeply for his people. The author does a wonderful job developing his story and creating a man with whom readers will relate and sympathize. With a tragic past, he has regrets that he has only recently recognized he needs to remedy, and his intense drive to save Rae and Tabby is a way to make up for past shortcomings and guilt over the loss of his only daughter.

The author’s world-building was easy to follow and understand, and I appreciated the charts of the rank structure of the North American SENTCORPS (Sentinel Corps), which is based on a US Navy model. The dialogue between crew members when working follows a military pattern with specialized terms quickly explained. The author displays a fine touch of humor with crew banter that felt natural and was very entertaining. My only complaint, and it’s a small one, was with the author’s choice to spell out the accented speech of BM1 Kelly Crawford; it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

The rescue mission is exciting, with technical aspects discussed, but kept at an understandable level. The story is more about the characters and the adventure rather than the science. The smooth pacing kept my interest constant, and the twists in the action kept me oblivious to distractions.

I recommend DISTRESS CALL to readers of science fiction, military sci-fi, and space operas.