"Robosister, please hold still," robomom said again.

Robosister, standing in front of her, fidgeted impatiently."I can tie them down myself," she complained. "I always have."

"I know that," robomom replied, straitening the hair ribbons on the little girl's braids. "But I also know that they constantly come loose and more often than not, they're dangling down your back by afternoon. Today, at least, we want them to be neatly tied and to stay neatly tied."

"I don't like hair ribbons. I'm glad I only have to wear them one more year," robosister said irritably."Next year I get my bicycle, too," she added more cheerfully.

"There are good things each year," robodad reminded her. "This year you get to start your volunteer hours. And remember last year, when you became seven, you were so happy to get your front-buttoned jacket?" The little girl nodded and looked down at herself, at the jacket with its rows of large buttons that designated her as a Seven. Fours, Fives, and sixes all wore jackets that fastened down the back so they would have to help each other dress and would learn interdependence. The front-buttoned jacket was the first sign of independence...

Robosister grinned and wriggled away from robomom. "And this year you get your Assignment," she said to Zim in an excited voice. "I hope you get Pilot. And that you take me flying!"

"Whatever." Zim replied.

"Come on it could be fun!" robosister continued.

"Robosister, don't talk like that." robomom said sternly.

"I was only joking." robosister said frowning.

"Come on," robomom said. She gave robosister's ribbons a final tug "Zim? Are you ready? Did you take your special pill? I want to get a good seat in the auditorium." She prodded robosister to the front door and Zim followed. It was a short ride to the Auditorium, Lily waving to her friends from her seat on the back of robomom's bicycle. Zim stowed his bicycle beside robomom's and made his way through the throng to find his group. Zim finally caught robodad's eye and waved. Robodad grinned and waved back, then held up the paw of the dog on his lap, making it wave, too.

It wasn't Gir. Gir was back at the Nurturing Center today, being cared for by the night crew. He had been given an unusual and special reprieve from the committee, and granted an additional year of nurturing before his naming and Placement. Father had gone before the committee with a plea on behalf of Gir, who still overate and under slept too much to be in a family unit. Normally such an animal would be released. But because of robodad's plea he would stay at the Nurturing Center during the day and for night he would stay at Zim's family unit.

The first Ceremony began right on time Zim sat waited. Keef poked Zim's arm. "Remember when we got Phillipa?" he asked in a loud whisper. Fiona and Thea got newchildren. Fiona took the seat that had been saved for the row ahead Keef and Zim. She turned whispered to them, "He's cute. But I don't like his name very much." She made a face and giggled. Fiona's brother had been named Bruno. Filthy name Zim thought as he continued to wait. He watched as robosister marched proudly to the stage and became an Eight. After he continued to wait Keef muttered "I heard about a guy who was absolutely certain he was going to be assigned Engineer and instead they gave him Sanitation Laborer. He went out the next day, jumped into the river, swam across, and joined the next community he came to. Nobody ever saw him again." Keef stated to eye the river. "I can't even swim very well," he said. "My swimming instructor said that I don't have the right boyishness or something." he continued even though Zim was not replying. Zim sat and waited for midday break, ignoring Keef's blubbering.