Ralph awoke promptly to the sound of a buzzing alarm in his ear.  A clock on a distant wall read 0200.  Despite his nocturnal tendencies, the early-bird schedule had become almost natural after his time in the academy.  Today, however, was quite different.  Today, he would become more than a cadet.  His eyes shone brightly at the thought, his stomach full of butterflies.  Sitting alone in his bunk, Ralph's heart beat nervously in his chest.  He took a deep breath to calm himself.  [i]Today,[/i] he thought, [i]I can make a difference.[/i]  

The Blue Line monorail departed from the academy around an hour later.  Ralph took one last fleeting glance at the place he had called home for quite some time.  As he entered the monorail, all his nervousness had left him.  He confidently bounded up the steps into Blue Line, happy and hopeful.  Immediately upon entry, he noticed the sharp contrast of the monorail with the Police Academy.  Whereas the building was purely for functionality, the other had an air of luxury about it.  He chose a seat next to a window, eager to view the regions he would protect as a full-fledged member of the ZPD.  After completing his application, Ralph spent most of the time on the monorail observing.  The beauty offered by each individual ecosystem was as awe-inspiring as everyone said it was.  Ralph took this as encouragement to do the best job he could, to protect and serve all that he would see today and more.  

After three hours of blissful enjoyment, the Blue Line monorail gently came to a stop.  Lights and a sound over the PA simultaneously indicated their arrival.  Ralph again glanced out to see the motion of Zootope.  Far away he could see buildings taller than he ever had before.  Ralph exited the monorail as quickly as possible, eager to observe more of the city on the way to the ZPD.  He and the other cadets were separated into smaller groups, loaded on buses, and driven the short ten minutes from the station to headquarters.  

Ralph exited the bus, immediately noticing the sole officer waiting several feet from the last step.  Onyx, the panther was called, started just as the last cadet emerged from the buses.  After finishing, the cadets responded "Yes sir!" in unison.  The cadets stood single file, awaiting review from the chief.  Ralph stood towards the front of the line.  He noticed that he was of a height with most of those around him.  After a short wait, it was his turn.  He handed his application carefully to the chief.  After a quite short review, Chief Onyx assigned him to Squad 66.  Ralph saluted, then turned and headed over to his assigned squad.  There he saw an armored vehicle, which he entered and awaited departure.