An old space farers trick. A ship will appear to be in distress (or may actually be in distress), including broadcasting an SOS, hoping to cause another ship to come along side to offer assistance. The crew will then attempt to board the “rescuing” ship. The origins of the term are unclear. Some historians believe that the term refers to a now extinct quadruped grazer of Terran origin, while others propose that the term is an abbreviation of the words “antenna loop,” referring to the intent to communicate a false distress message.