“New Ground” is episode ten of season five of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The Enterprise is heading to Bilana III to take part in a test for a new propulsion system and in engineering Geordi is gushing to Data and Worf about it, in which he says it will be like watching Zefram Cochrane engage the first warp drive. Which, a bit later in First Contact, they do. Neither Data – interesting – nor Worf – very exciting – is as impressed. Worf then gets a call from his mother who is on an approaching transport. She is visiting with Alexander. Worf meets them both in the transporter room and asks how long they are staying. Alexander says he isn’t going back.
In Ten Forward, Worf asks his mother why Alexander thinks he’s staying. Eventually she admits that she and his father are getting old and can’t keep up with Alexander; they are ready just to be grandparents. Alexander is too much for them and he lies; he needs a father. Worf wants another option, but Helena thinks Alexander needs a father’s guidance. Though Worf should do what he thinks is best.
Worf walks with Alexander to school, talking – with a very loose definition of conversation – and discovers he doesn’t even know his son’s birthday. Captain Picard is waiting in his ready room when Worf arrives, late. Worf apologises; he was enrolling his son in school. The captain starts, then the teacher contacts Worf again. They try and continue, when this time it’s Dr Crusher wanting to do a physical on Alexander. The captain tells Worf to take care of his son; the meeting can wait.
Dr Ja’dar briefs the senior staff in the observation lounge about the upcoming test. A soliton wave will push the test ship into warp. The Enterprise will need to remain with 20 km to receive telemetry. Once the test ship reaches another planet 3 lightyears away, another facility will disperse the wave, bringing the ship out of warp.
After the meeting, Troi asks Worf is he’s going on the field trip with Alexander. Worf wasn’t; he’s busy. He ends up rescheduling. During the field trip to the biolabs, the teacher, rather subtly, suggest Alexander stole a model. He did, but lied about it. Back in Worf’s quarters, he lectures Alexander on the meaning of honour to Klingons and Kahless and Morath, two brothers who fought for days after Morath told a lie and dishonoured his family. Alexander says he understands and won’t do it again, he promises. Worf accepts his word.
Later, Troi wants to talk about the field trip. Worf says he has remedied the situation; Troi appears rather less than certain and offers to help. Worf says that is not necessary; Alexander will not do it again. Worf has little understanding of the matter.
The soliton wave test starts and at first goes successfully. Until it doesn’t and a soliton wave whose energy is constantly building travels at increasing speed towards an inhabited planet. Perhaps they should have built the facility on somewhere they wouldn’t miss as much if it was destroyed. Meanwhile, Worf is struggling with being a father and Alexander continues to play up.