CPO Alexander Winters
From Station
Engineering is in His Blood
By Caroline Post
Chief Petty Officer Alexander Winters comes from a family of engineers. Both of his parents and his mother's father are engineers, as well as most males on his father's side. "I guess most people figure that is why I became an engineer," he told me as we sat in Orchids and Jazz the other day. "The truth is, I had an almost spiritual experience when I was young. My father had taken me to work with him, and I managed to sneak away. All I remember is standing in front of that warp core, listening to the hum of it. Something just clicked in my head."
I don't know if that qualifies as a genetic enducement, but he continued, "From that day on, I wanted nothing other than to be an engineer." It's a calling which has led him a long way from home, and given him the opportunity to be department head of both Engineering and Operations. Not bad for a young man with a Starfleet heritage. Engineering isn't the only thing that runs through CPO Winters' family. "There aren't all that many jobs for engineers outside of Starfleet," he told me. "It sort of goes hand in hand. . . It was really the quickest way to achieve what I wanted in life."
As we talked over dinner, I asked Alex if he had a favorite area of engineering, something he would do all the time, if permitted.
Not surprisingly, he answered, "I like it all . . . If I had to choose, it would have to be transporters. I have always been fascinated by how they work." From there, he descended into hellish sounding terms like Heisenberg Compensators, and Phase Transition Coils. Not at all boring, but way beyond my understanding of physics. One has to give him high marks for enthusiasm!
When asked if he had particularly wanted an assignment to Kepler Station, Winters replied, "I'm in Starfleet, so I didn't really have much of a choice . . . In engineering there isn't a lot of room for advancement. . . The position on Kepler was offered and I took it . . . . "
Alex agrees that the job, especially with Operations added in, is a little more paperwork than he'd like. On the other hand, he said, ". . . I get to help mold some young engineers. And, since I am the boss, I can keep all the good jobs for myself." He laughed, and I imagine he doesn't get many good jobs, but I sensed nothing but good will and cheerful contentment about his job.
As far as holding down two departments and keeping everything ticking over like clockwork, he thinks that's just temporary. "Once they find someone better, I will be back to just engineering." Maybe so, but he seems to be able to juggle all the parts of both jobs for now.
". . . engineering and operations sometimes have a little rivalry. Our areas tend to overlap." It makes it a little easier being head of both sections, and I wonder why that isn't done more often.
When I asked him what an engineer does for fun, he responded, "I don't know about other engineers, but this one has a few hobbies. I enjoy some of the more physical activities like rock climbing and kayaking. I also do some wood working and dabble at the guitar."
It sounds as if Alexander Winters is a well-rounded young man who has followed his focused goal since childhood. Kepler Station is fortunate in its head of engineering.
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