The Astrogation Association works in this way:

A distress signal is sent. Ideally, someone in the AA recieves your call and decrypts it with special AA software. Upon arrival in a system, the message is broadcast to an AA hyperspace ferry. They then move in for a rescue.

The AA was founded as a nonprofit organization. Eventually, it became a division of a corporation. To become a member, you must agree to carry a rather large software module (2 or 3 modules!) in your cencomp to allow you to play a part in receiving and decrypting messages while in hyperspace. Once a member, you receive vastly decreased (even reasonable) rates for their rescues. If you're not a member, you have to pay through the nose (unreasonable rates) for a rescue.

Actually, quite a few of the AA's membership is made of 'indentureds' who are forced to carry the software on their ship for an extended period of time to pay off the debt of a rescue. (BTW, the software is totally automatic and does not reveal the location of the ships to the holder of the software.)

There's a slight kink in the system. Pirates have managed to decrypt the software (which updates itself every month, but nevertheless the pirates decrypt it every month). So every time you broadcast a distress call, you have a chance of a pirate getting to you first. (Hopefully, your hyperdrive will be the only thing destroyed.) But given your situation, it's a chance worth taking.

It's also important to note that the further away you are from the nearest AA registered ship, the more of a chance you take when you send a distress call. While near the frontier, it's far more likely to have a pirate intercept your call than an AA ship. Still, it's your last hope, thus a chance worth taking.