While the Enterprise is heading to Bilana Three to help with some tests of a new propulsion method, the Soliton Wave, Worf gets a visit from his mother Helena and his son Alexander-but it turns out that Alexander is coming to stay. When he asks his mother why, she answers that he needs to be with his father for guidance, and that he's been having "difficulties", mostly about disobedience and dishonesty.

After she leaves for Earth, Worf and Alexander go to enroll Alexander in school-their conversations are distant and formal. The teacher, Ms. Kyle, is very happy to meet Alexander, but he does not return the sentiment, giving information only reluctantly and haltingly.

After a briefing about the Soliton test (a test ship will be hit with the wave and thrown into warp without benefit of engines, the Enterprise will follow a mere 20 km away to monitor, and when it reaches a planet three light-years off, a scattering field will be set up to stop the wave), Troi badgers Worf into going on a father-son field trip with Alexander and his classmates.

The trip, unfortunately, does not go well. Alexander steals one of the models and then denies having done so to Worf. Worf angrily takes Alexander back to their quarters, lectures him on honor and shame (complete with a story from Klingon folktales of Kahless and his brother Morath), and talks of his own past losses. Alexander promises he won't do it again, and Worf is satisfied. Troi, however, is less convinced that it's as over as it seems.

The Soliton test starts, and works beautifully at first-the ship jumps into warp, and the Enterprise follows close behind. Shortly thereafter, though, a power fluctuation on the test-ship goes wild, and the wave spins out of control, destroying the test-ship and damaging the Enterprise (sensors and warp engines are down, shields are minimal).

Worf talks to Kyle about Alexander, at her behest. Apparently, his attitude is worsening- he's bullying people and then denying it, claiming to her that Worf told him "Klingons do not listen to teachers", and so forth. She suggests a session with Counselor Troi, but Worf storms off to find Alexander, who's busy in the holodeck with Worf's calisthenics. Worf tells Alexander that he will be enrolled in a Klingon school, where he can learn the lessons Worf has failed to teach him.

With the sensors back up, Data locates the wave, now moving at warp 4.1, and gaining energy quickly. A call to Dr. Ja'Dar, head of the project, reveals that at the energy level it's expected to have once it reaches the other end of the test, it would destroy both the colony there and most of the surrounding planet.

Worf talks to Troi, who without intruding manages to point out that perhaps Alexander felt abandoned when Worf sent him to Worf's parents in the first place, and is acting out those feelings now. With memories of K'Ehleyr, she tells Worf that they both have some healing to do. Worf tries to talk to Alexander, but Alexander is angry and will not listen, and Worf is then suddenly called away. Alexander stalks off.

Picard decides that the best option to stop the Soliton wave is to get in front of it and fire several torpedoes-this option unfortunately, however, entails going through the wave to get there, a difficult task at best. As they catch up to the wave and prepare to go through it, Alexander finds himself back in the biolab where the field trip was. The Enterprise traverses the wave, but is shaken. Shields have buckled to the point where several sections have to be sealed off and evacuated before firing torpedoes, and one such section includes the biolab, now on fire. Worf and Riker head to the biolab and manage to rescue Alexander with scant seconds to spare, and Worf "challenges" Alexander to remain with him, a challenge Alexander accepts.

Highlight Listing:

"New Ground" - Worf learns some painful lessons about parenting when his son Alexander arrives to join his father on the Enterprise.

Advertising Headline:

FATHERHOOD: THE FINAL FRONTIER Worf battles his toughest opponent: His son.

TV log listing:

Worf's son joins him on STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION

Operation SNAFU

Alexander states that he was born on stardate 42305. Unless the equivalent of 01000 stardate equals approximately one year, Alexander would be only 2 and a half years old. Also, the creature which Riker saves from the lab is obviously a hand puppet. (V)

Technical design, graphic design, interactive features, HTML & CGI programming by Andrew Tong. || All materials Copyright © 1987-1995 by their respective authors. || Document created: January 28, 1995 || Last Modified: November 09, 2010