Alex Monroe

Early life (2378 – 2398)

Alexander Monroe was born in northern England in 2378 to Diana Monroe-Drake and Oscar Monroe, civil servants working in executive agencies of the United Federation of Planets, their only son.

Growing up between Yorkshire villages in Northern England on Earth, he developed a keen sense of adventurer, roaming the moors and finding company with friends and schoolmates. Through these friendships, he developed a passion for connecting people and places. During the summers, he’d often accompany his parents to their jobs in Paris and see first-hand the day-to-day challenges of administrating the Federation and the diversity of it’s cultures.

An average student, Monroe intended to stay on Earth and find whatever work he could qualify for as a professional in a Federation executive agency, following in the footsteps of his parents. Brought into contact with so many people, he grew up to be interested in language, technology and history as a means of working out all the diverse people he came into contact with.

Between 2385 and 2387, Monroe became properly aware of Starfleet when he watched in horror first the Attack on Mars and the subsequent efforts to divert the Romulan Supernova. The loss of Spock and the subsequent collective mourning that took place may well have been a formative event.

In 2396, he graduated from initial education. He applied for a number of government internships, first in Paris, then London, and eventually in San Francisco.

Now in the shadow of Starfleet Academy, an idea started to form of a life off-world. In 2397, his internships came to an end and his manager referred him to Starfleet Academy for the Academy Preparatory Exam. Like many others, he failed his first attempt, but was invited to join the Academy Preparatory Programme the following summer where he successfully earned his place in the class of 2398.

Starfleet Academy Class of 2398 (2398  – 2401)

Monroe joined Starfleet Academy in 2398. His first year was uncertain. While he didn’t struggle to make friends and settle into the Academy lifestyle, he found the diversity of learning difficult, particularly the preparatory courses for life aboard a starship. After some deliberation, Monroe declared a major in Communications and minored in Creative Writing, Intergalactic Relations and Flight Control.

In 2399, now into his second year as a cadet, Monroe met Nyck Tocamo, a final year cadet from the class of 2396. For 12 months, the two became inseparable, often found flying training craft together outside of class, or drinking raucously off-campus. During this year, Monroe bridged the gap between the professional wings of the Federation and the Academy, introducing many of his friends to one another and keeping abreast of galactic affairs and possible postings.

In his third year as a cadet, Monroe earned the Walter Horne Prize for Creative Writing, a great boost to his personal and professional confidence. With two fellow students, Monroe edited and published an anthology of work from writers across the Academy. Like many other cadets, Monroe took the Kobayashi Maru test and failed with flying colours. He often said the experience, repeating the test as a ‘crewman’ with friends and classmates, taught him he would make a much better First Officer.

Cadet Senior Grade (2401)

In 2401, Monroe entered his final year as a Starfleet Academy Officer Cadet. With 3 years under his belt, he was beginning to envision his life in Starfleet and had reached the conclusion his skills leant themselves to a duty posting as a junior staff officer to a senior officer, most likely aboard a starbase or in a civilian secondment.

Like thousands of other cadets, Monroe watched in horror during the Frontier Day attack, and saw many of his former classmates assimilated by the Borg. While casualties were relatively low, Monroe was left severely disturbed by the experience. As a cadet with more soft-skills than those required in the recovery effort, he received orders to transfer to the campus on Mellstoxx III for his final exams.

Now off-world for the first time, thrust out of his comfort zone with few friends and no plan, Cadet Monroe would need to find his space-legs and fast…