Malencia Vale (Cia) is excited for Graduation Day. It marks her transition into adulthood, as indicated by the transition of her clothing from pink (a child’s color) to red (an adult’s color). At age 16, Cia is the youngest in her class to graduate; she dreams that her name will be called for The Testing. Cia’s mother, father, and four brothers attend the graduation. Her father pulls her aside and tells her he’s proud of her. He attended the University, a rare honor, and was assigned to the Five Lakes colony to work on genetically altering plants and trees “to survive in the blighted soil” (5).

The entire colony has gathered in the town square for the graduation ceremony. There are rumors that an official from Tosu City has come to select students for the University. Cia’s father announces that he and his team have developed a new potato. This surprises Cia, because she knows it was her brother Zeen who’d developed the potato and their father had promised Zeen would get full credit for the project. The graduation ceremony continues but there is no sign of the Tosu official.