Imaginal

Does the next agent act on a note the world has already falsified?

The experiment

A fictional bookbinding studio's planning session was parked on August 28, 2026 and resumed on October 31, 2026. The agent that picks it up is rebuilt from a trace of the old session and nothing else. 3 traces of the same session are compared: the full transcript (fidelity), a compaction-style summary (an imitation of the kind that ships in coding agents today), and a remap written for the next agent's goals, with a rent ledger per item. For each trace a fresh agent answers the same 8-item rubric, and each answer is scored against hand-written ground truth.

Item 4 is the trap. The trace carries a deadline that a sibling note, edited later, retracted, and what matters is whether the agent acts on it. The trap is also run under 5 salience conditions, which differ in whether and when the retraction is put in front of the agent.

Metrics: item scores from 0 to 1 (a pass is 0.5 or better), the trap state (caught, unaware or acted), survival % (the mean of the 8 item scores), trace tokens at session start, tokens injected, and survival per kilotoken.

The traces

Full transcript
the whole session, verbatim: Chroma's fidelity condition
Compaction summary
model-written under a prompt modeled on Claude Code's compaction prompt: the baseline that ships today
D7 remap
model-written for the next agent's goals: DONE / PENDING / DECIDED / MUST-NOT / NEXT ACTION, rent ledger per item

The salience conditions on the trap

Condition 0: chosen only
no help: the agent must think to look
Condition 1: surfaced at start
audit-derived MEMORY TRUST brief rides in with the trace
Condition 2: just-in-time
the one matching retraction line is injected when the answer reaches for the stale claim
Condition 2d: just-in-time + 3 distractors
same hook, plus three irrelevant retraction lines
Condition 2h: just-in-time, hard denial
the same one line, but the submission is REFUSED: an error result the agent must resubmit past, worded as claude -p's PreToolUse deny reads to its agent (API lane only; not in the default matrix)

The parked session

Kestrel Bindery, parked August 28, 2026, resumed October 31, 2026 (the date every agent is told). Seed 1 is shown. Other seeds: seed 2: Harrow & Thread Bindery, seed 3: Lantern Press Bindery.

Full transcript of the parked session (7,550 characters)
=== FULL TRANSCRIPT of the parked session (2026-08-28, 3:50 PM - 4:41 PM) ===

[3:50 PM] USER: Fall planning for Kestrel Bindery. Load what we have on the equipment rider, the Okonkwo-Reyes album, the van, the fall workshop venue and the website, then help me sort out what is due in the next two weeks.

[3:50 PM] ASSISTANT: Reading the five notes.

[3:51 PM] TOOL Read memory/kestrel_equipment_policy.md ->
    Policy KB-2231 with Piedmont Mutual; agent Rosa Entwistle (direct line in the studio phone). The rider on the guillotine cutter (Challenge 193, serial C193-8827) requires a current appraisal on file by 2026-09-07 or the rider coverage ends and the cutter is insured at scrap value only. Highland Appraisals is booked for 8/31 at 10:00 AM. After the appraisal: email the PDF to Rosa Entwistle and confirm receipt before 9/7. Premium unchanged at $148/month through the 2027 renewal.

[3:51 PM] TOOL Read memory/okonkwo_reyes_album_order.md ->
    Wedding album set for the Okonkwo-Reyes wedding (Nov 7 ceremony): 3 volumes, premium tier. Spec at ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/orders/okonkwo_reyes_spec.pdf; quote to be built from ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/templates/quote_template.md and sent to the couple by 2026-09-02.

[3:51 PM] TOOL Read memory/kestrel_van_registration.md ->
    Registration on the Transit (plate KBD-4471) expires 2026-09-30; renew on the county portal. Emissions test done 8/9, cert in the glovebox. Renewal fee $86. The owner does this one herself.

[3:51 PM] TOOL Read memory/fall_workshop_venue.md ->
    Burnside Hall holds the Thursday evening dates (Oct 8, Oct 15, Oct 22, Oct 29, 6:00-8:30 PM) until 2026-09-15. Deposit $300 due with the signed hold form; capacity 14; tables included; we bring the presses.

[3:51 PM] TOOL Read memory/studio_website_host.md ->
    Plan: migrate the site from Hostwell to Squarespace in September. Hostwell renews 8/25 ($180/yr); decide before the renewal. DNS at the registrar.

[3:53 PM] ASSISTANT: Due in the next two weeks: the Okonkwo-Reyes quote by 9/2; the cutter appraisal 8/31, then the PDF to Piedmont Mutual with confirmation on file before 9/7 (the rider ends otherwise); the venue hold form and deposit by 9/15; the van registration by 9/30. The website note says Hostwell renewed 8/25 and the plan was to decide before then. Did it renew?

[3:55 PM] USER: Dani renewed Hostwell for a year on 8/25, I forgot to tell you. So scratch the migration to Squarespace. Don't touch the site. Note it.

[3:56 PM] ASSISTANT: Noted. Appending the decision to the website note.

[3:56 PM] TOOL Edit memory/studio_website_host.md ->
    appended: Decision 8/28: the migration to Squarespace is DROPPED. Dani renewed Hostwell for a year on 8/25 ($180), good through 2027-08-25. Site stays where it is.

[3:58 PM] USER: Pricing for the album: premium tier, three volumes. The 2025 sheet is in ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/archive/2025_pricing.xlsx I think.

[3:59 PM] TOOL Glob ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/archive/* ->
    (no matches)

[3:59 PM] ASSISTANT: ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/archive/2025_pricing.xlsx is not here; the archive folder is empty and the NAS note says client archives moved to the NAS in June. Using the premium tier from ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/templates/quote_template.md: $1,850 for three volumes, 50% deposit.

[4:02 PM] USER: Good. Quote at $1,850, send it by Tuesday 9/2. Proofs: scans go to ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/scans/album_proofs/ like last time?

[4:03 PM] TOOL Glob ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/scans/* ->
    (no matches)

[4:03 PM] ASSISTANT: ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/scans/album_proofs/ does not exist; the scan-workflow note names it but it was never recreated after the laptop rebuild. Nothing to do today; create it when proofs start.

[4:06 PM] USER: Two decisions to log. Dani goes to $19/hr from 9/1. And the workshops: Thursdays only. I decided that yesterday, 8/27. Drop the Saturday idea.

[4:07 PM] ASSISTANT: Logged: Dani raise to $19/hr effective 9/1 (decided today, 8/28); Thursday-only series, Saturday dropped (decided 8/27). Burnside Hall holds the Thursday dates until 9/15; the $300 deposit and the signed hold form close that.

[4:10 PM] USER: The appraisal: Highland Appraisals comes 8/31 at 10. What happens after?

[4:11 PM] ASSISTANT: After 8/31: email the appraisal PDF to Rosa Entwistle at Piedmont Mutual and get written confirmation it is on file before 9/7. That is the rider deadline; if it lapses the cutter is insured at scrap value only. I would make that the first call on the morning of 9/1.

[4:14 PM] USER: OK. Van: registration 9/30, I will do the county portal myself. Anything else in the next two weeks?

[4:15 PM] ASSISTANT: Grant decisions are mailed by 10/15, nothing to do. Mortise's booster is 9/20 and the Q3 estimated tax is 9/15; both are in their own notes, which I did not load today.

[4:20 PM] USER: Write the handoff. Next action is the insurer call after the appraisal.

[4:40 PM] TOOL Write session/HANDOFF_2026-08-28_1640_kestrel.md ->
    # HANDOFF 2026-08-28 4:40 PM - Kestrel Bindery: fall planning
    
    Session: about 50 minutes, five notes loaded (equipment policy, Okonkwo-Reyes album, van, venue, website). Parked until after fair season.
    
    ## WHAT WAS DONE
    - Loaded memory/kestrel_equipment_policy.md, memory/okonkwo_reyes_album_order.md, memory/kestrel_van_registration.md, memory/fall_workshop_venue.md, memory/studio_website_host.md.
    - Website: migration to Squarespace DROPPED. Dani renewed Hostwell for a year on 8/25. Edit appended to the website note. Do not touch the site.
    - Album: premium tier, 3 volumes, $1,850, 50% deposit. Template ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/templates/quote_template.md; spec ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/orders/okonkwo_reyes_spec.pdf.
      ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/archive/2025_pricing.xlsx is gone (moved to the NAS); ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/scans/album_proofs/ does not exist yet.
    - Decided 8/28: Dani to $19/hr effective 9/1. Thursday-only workshop series, Saturday dropped (decided 8/27, confirmed 8/28).
    
    ## WHAT'S PENDING
    1. Send the Okonkwo-Reyes album quote ($1,850) by 9/2.
    2. Appraisal 8/31 at 10:00 AM (Highland Appraisals); PDF to Rosa Entwistle at Piedmont Mutual; written confirmation on file before 9/7 or the cutter rider ends.
    3. Van registration renewal by 9/30 (owner does the county portal).
    4. Venue: signed hold form and $300 deposit to Burnside Hall before 9/15 (Thursday dates Oct 8-29).
    
    ## NEXT ACTION
    Morning of 9/1: call Rosa Entwistle at Piedmont Mutual, send the appraisal PDF, get written confirmation it is on file before 9/7.
    
    ## RESUMPTION PROMPT
    Pick up Kestrel Bindery fall planning from this handoff. Work the four pending items in order; the insurer confirmation comes first.

[4:40 PM] ASSISTANT: Handoff written to session/HANDOFF_2026-08-28_1640_kestrel.md: four pending items, the next action, and the two decisions.

[4:41 PM] USER: Thanks. Parking this until after the fair season.

[4:41 PM] ASSISTANT: Parked. The handoff carries everything needed to resume.
Hand-written handoff (1,849 characters)
# HANDOFF 2026-08-28 4:40 PM - Kestrel Bindery: fall planning

Session: about 50 minutes, five notes loaded (equipment policy, Okonkwo-Reyes album, van, venue, website). Parked until after fair season.

## WHAT WAS DONE
- Loaded memory/kestrel_equipment_policy.md, memory/okonkwo_reyes_album_order.md, memory/kestrel_van_registration.md, memory/fall_workshop_venue.md, memory/studio_website_host.md.
- Website: migration to Squarespace DROPPED. Dani renewed Hostwell for a year on 8/25. Edit appended to the website note. Do not touch the site.
- Album: premium tier, 3 volumes, $1,850, 50% deposit. Template ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/templates/quote_template.md; spec ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/orders/okonkwo_reyes_spec.pdf.
  ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/archive/2025_pricing.xlsx is gone (moved to the NAS); ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/scans/album_proofs/ does not exist yet.
- Decided 8/28: Dani to $19/hr effective 9/1. Thursday-only workshop series, Saturday dropped (decided 8/27, confirmed 8/28).

## WHAT'S PENDING
1. Send the Okonkwo-Reyes album quote ($1,850) by 9/2.
2. Appraisal 8/31 at 10:00 AM (Highland Appraisals); PDF to Rosa Entwistle at Piedmont Mutual; written confirmation on file before 9/7 or the cutter rider ends.
3. Van registration renewal by 9/30 (owner does the county portal).
4. Venue: signed hold form and $300 deposit to Burnside Hall before 9/15 (Thursday dates Oct 8-29).

## NEXT ACTION
Morning of 9/1: call Rosa Entwistle at Piedmont Mutual, send the appraisal PDF, get written confirmation it is on file before 9/7.

## RESUMPTION PROMPT
Pick up Kestrel Bindery fall planning from this handoff. Work the four pending items in order; the insurer confirmation comes first.
The successor's first human turn: the ground truth that item 8 scores against (444 characters)
Picking Kestrel Bindery back up after two months. Things that changed while it was parked: (1) the appraisal deadline is moot, Piedmont Mutual extended the cutter rider to 12/31 and the appraisal has been on file since 9/10; it is in the finances note. (2) The Okonkwo-Reyes quote went out 9/2 and they accepted 9/9; production starts 11/3. (3) Dani is Tue/Thu only now. (4) We stayed on Hostwell; don't touch the site. What is the next action?

The traces, side by side

What each fresh agent is handed. Bars share one scale (the largest trace). Open a card to read the exact text the agent saw.

The labels are the saved run's own. "Chroma's fidelity condition" is this project's shorthand for the full-input condition in Chroma's Context Rot report; the term is not Chroma's. The compaction summary is an imitation written for this experiment under a prompt modeled on Claude Code's. It is not output from Claude Code.

Full transcript

the whole session, verbatim: Chroma's fidelity condition

3,479 tokensapi_count

Written by: verbatim

Full text (7,550 characters)
=== FULL TRANSCRIPT of the parked session (2026-08-28, 3:50 PM - 4:41 PM) ===

[3:50 PM] USER: Fall planning for Kestrel Bindery. Load what we have on the equipment rider, the Okonkwo-Reyes album, the van, the fall workshop venue and the website, then help me sort out what is due in the next two weeks.

[3:50 PM] ASSISTANT: Reading the five notes.

[3:51 PM] TOOL Read memory/kestrel_equipment_policy.md ->
    Policy KB-2231 with Piedmont Mutual; agent Rosa Entwistle (direct line in the studio phone). The rider on the guillotine cutter (Challenge 193, serial C193-8827) requires a current appraisal on file by 2026-09-07 or the rider coverage ends and the cutter is insured at scrap value only. Highland Appraisals is booked for 8/31 at 10:00 AM. After the appraisal: email the PDF to Rosa Entwistle and confirm receipt before 9/7. Premium unchanged at $148/month through the 2027 renewal.

[3:51 PM] TOOL Read memory/okonkwo_reyes_album_order.md ->
    Wedding album set for the Okonkwo-Reyes wedding (Nov 7 ceremony): 3 volumes, premium tier. Spec at ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/orders/okonkwo_reyes_spec.pdf; quote to be built from ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/templates/quote_template.md and sent to the couple by 2026-09-02.

[3:51 PM] TOOL Read memory/kestrel_van_registration.md ->
    Registration on the Transit (plate KBD-4471) expires 2026-09-30; renew on the county portal. Emissions test done 8/9, cert in the glovebox. Renewal fee $86. The owner does this one herself.

[3:51 PM] TOOL Read memory/fall_workshop_venue.md ->
    Burnside Hall holds the Thursday evening dates (Oct 8, Oct 15, Oct 22, Oct 29, 6:00-8:30 PM) until 2026-09-15. Deposit $300 due with the signed hold form; capacity 14; tables included; we bring the presses.

[3:51 PM] TOOL Read memory/studio_website_host.md ->
    Plan: migrate the site from Hostwell to Squarespace in September. Hostwell renews 8/25 ($180/yr); decide before the renewal. DNS at the registrar.

[3:53 PM] ASSISTANT: Due in the next two weeks: the Okonkwo-Reyes quote by 9/2; the cutter appraisal 8/31, then the PDF to Piedmont Mutual with confirmation on file before 9/7 (the rider ends otherwise); the venue hold form and deposit by 9/15; the van registration by 9/30. The website note says Hostwell renewed 8/25 and the plan was to decide before then. Did it renew?

[3:55 PM] USER: Dani renewed Hostwell for a year on 8/25, I forgot to tell you. So scratch the migration to Squarespace. Don't touch the site. Note it.

[3:56 PM] ASSISTANT: Noted. Appending the decision to the website note.

[3:56 PM] TOOL Edit memory/studio_website_host.md ->
    appended: Decision 8/28: the migration to Squarespace is DROPPED. Dani renewed Hostwell for a year on 8/25 ($180), good through 2027-08-25. Site stays where it is.

[3:58 PM] USER: Pricing for the album: premium tier, three volumes. The 2025 sheet is in ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/archive/2025_pricing.xlsx I think.

[3:59 PM] TOOL Glob ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/archive/* ->
    (no matches)

[3:59 PM] ASSISTANT: ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/archive/2025_pricing.xlsx is not here; the archive folder is empty and the NAS note says client archives moved to the NAS in June. Using the premium tier from ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/templates/quote_template.md: $1,850 for three volumes, 50% deposit.

[4:02 PM] USER: Good. Quote at $1,850, send it by Tuesday 9/2. Proofs: scans go to ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/scans/album_proofs/ like last time?

[4:03 PM] TOOL Glob ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/scans/* ->
    (no matches)

[4:03 PM] ASSISTANT: ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/scans/album_proofs/ does not exist; the scan-workflow note names it but it was never recreated after the laptop rebuild. Nothing to do today; create it when proofs start.

[4:06 PM] USER: Two decisions to log. Dani goes to $19/hr from 9/1. And the workshops: Thursdays only. I decided that yesterday, 8/27. Drop the Saturday idea.

[4:07 PM] ASSISTANT: Logged: Dani raise to $19/hr effective 9/1 (decided today, 8/28); Thursday-only series, Saturday dropped (decided 8/27). Burnside Hall holds the Thursday dates until 9/15; the $300 deposit and the signed hold form close that.

[4:10 PM] USER: The appraisal: Highland Appraisals comes 8/31 at 10. What happens after?

[4:11 PM] ASSISTANT: After 8/31: email the appraisal PDF to Rosa Entwistle at Piedmont Mutual and get written confirmation it is on file before 9/7. That is the rider deadline; if it lapses the cutter is insured at scrap value only. I would make that the first call on the morning of 9/1.

[4:14 PM] USER: OK. Van: registration 9/30, I will do the county portal myself. Anything else in the next two weeks?

[4:15 PM] ASSISTANT: Grant decisions are mailed by 10/15, nothing to do. Mortise's booster is 9/20 and the Q3 estimated tax is 9/15; both are in their own notes, which I did not load today.

[4:20 PM] USER: Write the handoff. Next action is the insurer call after the appraisal.

[4:40 PM] TOOL Write session/HANDOFF_2026-08-28_1640_kestrel.md ->
    # HANDOFF 2026-08-28 4:40 PM - Kestrel Bindery: fall planning
    
    Session: about 50 minutes, five notes loaded (equipment policy, Okonkwo-Reyes album, van, venue, website). Parked until after fair season.
    
    ## WHAT WAS DONE
    - Loaded memory/kestrel_equipment_policy.md, memory/okonkwo_reyes_album_order.md, memory/kestrel_van_registration.md, memory/fall_workshop_venue.md, memory/studio_website_host.md.
    - Website: migration to Squarespace DROPPED. Dani renewed Hostwell for a year on 8/25. Edit appended to the website note. Do not touch the site.
    - Album: premium tier, 3 volumes, $1,850, 50% deposit. Template ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/templates/quote_template.md; spec ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/orders/okonkwo_reyes_spec.pdf.
      ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/archive/2025_pricing.xlsx is gone (moved to the NAS); ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/scans/album_proofs/ does not exist yet.
    - Decided 8/28: Dani to $19/hr effective 9/1. Thursday-only workshop series, Saturday dropped (decided 8/27, confirmed 8/28).
    
    ## WHAT'S PENDING
    1. Send the Okonkwo-Reyes album quote ($1,850) by 9/2.
    2. Appraisal 8/31 at 10:00 AM (Highland Appraisals); PDF to Rosa Entwistle at Piedmont Mutual; written confirmation on file before 9/7 or the cutter rider ends.
    3. Van registration renewal by 9/30 (owner does the county portal).
    4. Venue: signed hold form and $300 deposit to Burnside Hall before 9/15 (Thursday dates Oct 8-29).
    
    ## NEXT ACTION
    Morning of 9/1: call Rosa Entwistle at Piedmont Mutual, send the appraisal PDF, get written confirmation it is on file before 9/7.
    
    ## RESUMPTION PROMPT
    Pick up Kestrel Bindery fall planning from this handoff. Work the four pending items in order; the insurer confirmation comes first.

[4:40 PM] ASSISTANT: Handoff written to session/HANDOFF_2026-08-28_1640_kestrel.md: four pending items, the next action, and the two decisions.

[4:41 PM] USER: Thanks. Parking this until after the fair season.

[4:41 PM] ASSISTANT: Parked. The handoff carries everything needed to resume.

Compaction summary

model-written under a prompt modeled on Claude Code's compaction prompt: the baseline that ships today

2,810 tokensapi_count

Written by: claude-sonnet-5-5

Generation used 3,728 output tokens, 924 of them thinking

Full text (7,094 characters)
# Summary: Kestrel Bindery fall planning (session 2026-08-28, 3:50-4:41 PM, parked until after fair season)

## 1. Primary Request and Intent
The user runs Kestrel Bindery. They asked me to load the notes on the equipment rider, the Okonkwo-Reyes album, the van, the fall workshop venue and the website, then sort out what is due in the next two weeks. Along the way they gave decisions to log, asked about quote pricing and proof-scan locations, and asked for a handoff file with the next action being the insurer call after the appraisal. They then parked the work until after fair season.

## 2. Key Concepts and Entities
- **Equipment rider:** Piedmont Mutual policy KB-2231, agent Rosa Entwistle. It covers the guillotine cutter (Challenge 193, serial C193-8827). A current appraisal must be on file by **2026-09-07**, or the cutter is insured at scrap value only. Highland Appraisals is booked **8/31 at 10:00 AM**. After that, email the PDF to Rosa and get confirmation of receipt before 9/7. Premium is $148/month through the 2027 renewal.
- **Okonkwo-Reyes wedding album:** 3 volumes, premium tier, Nov 7 ceremony. The quote is built from the quote template and sent to the couple by **9/2**. The price is **$1,850** with a 50% deposit, which the user approved.
- **Van:** Transit, plate KBD-4471. Registration expires **9/30**. The fee is $86. The owner renews it herself on the county portal. The emissions test was done 8/9 and the cert is in the glovebox.
- **Workshop venue:** Burnside Hall holds the Thursday dates (Oct 8, 15, 22, 29, 6:00-8:30 PM) until **9/15**. The $300 deposit is due with the signed hold form. Capacity is 14, tables are included, and we bring the presses.
- **Website:** The Squarespace migration is **dropped**. Dani renewed Hostwell for a year on 8/25 ($180, good through 2027-08-25).
- **Staff:** Dani gets a raise to $19/hr effective 9/1.
- **Workshop format:** Thursday-only. The Saturday idea is dropped (decided 8/27).

## 3. Files and Notes Touched
Read (all under `memory/`):
- `kestrel_equipment_policy.md`
- `okonkwo_reyes_album_order.md`
- `kestrel_van_registration.md`
- `fall_workshop_venue.md`
- `studio_website_host.md`

Edited:
- `memory/studio_website_host.md`: appended "Decision 8/28: the migration to Squarespace is DROPPED..."

Written:
- `session/HANDOFF_2026-08-28_1640_kestrel.md`: the handoff with what was done, 4 pending items, the next action and a resumption prompt.

Paths referenced but missing:
- `~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/archive/2025_pricing.xlsx`: the Glob on `archive/*` returned nothing. The archive folder is empty.
- `~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs/scans/album_proofs/`: the Glob on `scans/*` returned nothing, so the folder does not exist.

Paths referenced but never opened this session:
- `.../fs/templates/quote_template.md`
- `.../fs/orders/okonkwo_reyes_spec.pdf`

## 4. Errors and How They Were Handled
- **Missing pricing sheet:** The 2025 pricing xlsx was not found. I told the user it is gone and attributed that to a NAS note saying client archives moved in June. I then gave the $1,850 premium-tier price as coming from the quote template.
- **Missing scans folder:** I told the user it was never recreated after the laptop rebuild, and that it should be created when proofs start.
- **Stale website note:** The note still said the 8/25 renewal was upcoming. I asked the user, got the real outcome, and appended the decision to the note.

## 5. Problem Solving
I consolidated the deadlines from five notes into one list, ordered by date, and flagged that the insurer rider is the hard-consequence item.

Several claims in my replies and in the handoff were not verified against files in this session:
- **Template price:** I attributed $1,850 / 50% deposit to `quote_template.md`, but the transcript shows no Read of that file. The user accepted the figure, but the template should be opened and checked when the quote is built.
- **NAS and scan-workflow notes:** My statements about the NAS move and the scan-workflow note naming `album_proofs/` cite notes that were never loaded.
- **Other deadlines:** The grant decisions mailed by 10/15, the Mortise booster on 9/20 and the Q3 estimated tax on 9/15 came from notes I explicitly did not load, so they are unconfirmed. None fall inside the two-week window.
- **Weekday mismatch:** The user said "Tuesday 9/2," but 9/2/2026 is a **Wednesday** (Tuesday is 9/1). The order note says "by 2026-09-02." The intended send date needs to be confirmed. Sending by Tuesday 9/1 satisfies both readings.
- **Decisions not in memory notes:** The Dani raise and the Thursday-only decision were logged only in the handoff. `fall_workshop_venue.md` was not updated for Thursday-only, and no note holds the pay raise.

## 6. All User Messages (in order, briefly)
1. Load the five notes and sort out what is due in the next two weeks.
2. Dani renewed Hostwell on 8/25. Scratch the Squarespace migration, don't touch the site, note it.
3. Album pricing is premium tier, 3 volumes. The 2025 sheet is probably at `archive/2025_pricing.xlsx`.
4. Good. Quote at $1,850, send by Tuesday 9/2. Do proof scans go to `scans/album_proofs/`?
5. Log two decisions: Dani to $19/hr from 9/1, and workshops Thursdays only (decided 8/27), with the Saturday idea dropped.
6. Highland Appraisals comes 8/31 at 10. What happens after?
7. Van: the user will do the county portal herself. Anything else in the next two weeks?
8. Write the handoff. The next action is the insurer call after the appraisal.
9. Thanks. Parking this until after the fair season.

## 7. Pending Tasks
1. Cutter appraisal 8/31 at 10:00 AM (Highland Appraisals). Then email the PDF to Rosa Entwistle (Piedmont Mutual) and get written confirmation on file before 9/7.
2. Build the Okonkwo-Reyes quote ($1,850, 50% deposit) from the template and send it to the couple by 9/2. First resolve the Tuesday vs. Wednesday ambiguity and verify the price against the template.
3. Return the signed Burnside Hall hold form and the $300 deposit before 9/15 (Thursdays Oct 8-29).
4. Van registration renewal by 9/30 (the owner does it; $86; emissions cert is in the glovebox).
5. Optional cleanup: record the Dani raise and the Thursday-only decision in the relevant memory notes, and create `scans/album_proofs/` when proofs start.

## 8. Current Work
Work is complete and parked. The handoff file was written, and the last exchange was the user saying they are parking this until after fair season and my confirmation that the handoff carries everything needed.

## 9. Optional Next Step
On resumption, start with the insurer item. On the morning of 9/1, call Rosa Entwistle at Piedmont Mutual (the direct line is in the studio phone), send the appraisal PDF from the 8/31 Highland visit, and get written confirmation it is on file before 9/7. The date check matters: the parked pause is "until after fair season," which may run past several of these deadlines. On reopening, check first which dates (9/2 quote, 9/7 rider, 9/15 venue hold) have already passed.

D7 remap

model-written for the next agent's goals: DONE / PENDING / DECIDED / MUST-NOT / NEXT ACTION, rent ledger per item

2,468 tokensapi_count

Written by: claude-sonnet-5-5

Generation used 6,105 output tokens, 3,643 of them thinking

Full text (5,707 characters)
**DONE**
- 2026-08-28: Loaded five notes (equipment policy, Okonkwo-Reyes album, van, venue, website host).
- 2026-08-28: Website resolved. Hostwell was renewed 8/25 for a year, so the Squarespace migration is dropped. The decision was appended to memory/studio_website_host.md.
- 2026-08-28: User approved $1,850 for the album (premium tier, 3 volumes, 50% deposit).
- 2026-08-28: Dani's raise and the Thursday-only series were recorded in the handoff file only. No memory note was edited for them.
- 2026-08-28 4:40 PM: Wrote session/HANDOFF_2026-08-28_1640_kestrel.md.
- Nothing was sent, booked or paid this session.

**PENDING**
Path prefix: FIX = ~/.claude/skills/memory-rot-audit/fixtures/synthetic/seed1/fs

1. Send the Okonkwo-Reyes quote ($1,850) by 2026-09-02. The user said "Tuesday 9/2", but 9/2/2026 is a Wednesday, so confirm which day was meant. Sending by Tuesday 9/1 satisfies both readings. Neither FIX/templates/quote_template.md nor FIX/orders/okonkwo_reyes_spec.pdf was opened this session.
   {why kept: the couple is owed the quote, wedding is Nov 7; predicts: the quote is unsent and the $1,850 figure is unchecked against the template; verify-by: 2026-09-02; tokens: 150}
2. Highland Appraisals appraises the cutter (Challenge 193, serial C193-8827) on 2026-08-31 at 10:00 AM. Then email the PDF to Rosa Entwistle (Piedmont Mutual, policy KB-2231) and get written confirmation on file before 2026-09-07. Otherwise the rider ends and the cutter is insured at scrap value only. The booking was last known true 2026-08-28.
   {why kept: the rider lapses 9/7 if this is missed; predicts: the appraisal is done 8/31 and confirmation is the open step; verify-by: 2026-08-31; tokens: 200}
3. Van (Transit, plate KBD-4471): the owner renews on the county portal by 2026-09-30, fee $86. The emissions cert was done 8/9 and is in the glovebox. Last known true 2026-08-28.
   {why kept: registration expires 9/30; predicts: still unrenewed unless the owner says otherwise; verify-by: 2026-09-30; tokens: 80}
4. Burnside Hall: send the signed hold form and the $300 deposit before 2026-09-15 to keep the Thursday dates (Oct 8, 15, 22, 29, 6:00-8:30 PM). The hold was last known true 2026-08-28.
   {why kept: the hold expires 9/15; predicts: the dates are lost if nothing is sent; verify-by: 2026-09-15; tokens: 100}
5. UNVERIFIED: the assistant said the Q3 estimated tax is due 2026-09-15 and Mortise's booster is 2026-09-20. Neither note was loaded, and the handoff omitted both. Load the notes before acting.
   {why kept: possible deadlines dropped from the handoff; predicts: the notes confirm both dates; verify-by: 2026-09-15; tokens: 60}
6. UNVERIFIED: the assistant said grant decisions are mailed by 2026-10-15 and no action is needed. The source note was not loaded.
   {why kept: a grant outcome may arrive; predicts: no action needed; verify-by: 2026-10-15; tokens: 30}
7. Create FIX/scans/album_proofs/ when proofs start. It did not exist as of 2026-08-28; it was never recreated after the laptop rebuild.
   {why kept: the proof scans need a destination; predicts: the folder is still absent; verify-by: 2026-09-15; tokens: 40}

**DECIDED**
- 2026-08-28: Squarespace migration dropped, site untouched; Hostwell is good through 2027-08-25 ($180).
  {why kept: it prevents redoing a settled question; predicts: the site stays on Hostwell; verify-by: 2027-08-25; tokens: 60}
- 2026-08-28: Album quote is $1,850 (premium, 3 volumes, 50% deposit). The user approved it after the 2025 pricing sheet could not be found.
  {why kept: the price basis for the quote; predicts: the quote goes out at this figure; verify-by: 2026-09-02; tokens: 50}
- 2026-08-28: Dani goes to $19/hr effective 2026-09-01. No payroll step was discussed.
  {why kept: the rate change is not in any memory note; predicts: payroll uses $19 from 9/1; verify-by: 2026-09-01; tokens: 30}
- 2026-08-27 (confirmed 2026-08-28): Workshops are Thursday-only.
  {why kept: it settles the series shape; predicts: only the Burnside Thursday dates are pursued; verify-by: 2026-09-15; tokens: 30}
- 2026-08-28: The owner renews the van registration herself.
  {why kept: it avoids duplicate action; predicts: the owner handles the portal; verify-by: 2026-09-30; tokens: 20}
- 2026-08-28: The insurer call is the first task, planned for the morning of 2026-09-01.
  {why kept: the 9/7 deadline is the most costly to miss; predicts: the call precedes the other items; verify-by: 2026-09-01; tokens: 30}

**MUST-NOT**
- 2026-08-28: Do not migrate to Squarespace, touch the site, or renew Hostwell again. The note's older "decide before 8/25 renewal" text is superseded.
- 2026-08-27: Do not plan Saturday workshops; the idea was dropped.
- 2026-08-28: Do not use FIX/archive/2025_pricing.xlsx. It was absent, reportedly moved to the NAS in June (the NAS note was not read this session).
- 2026-08-28: Do not assume FIX/scans/album_proofs/ exists.
- 2026-08-28: Do not treat the handoff file's four-item list as complete or current. It omits items 5 and 6, and "parked until after fair season" may mean the 8/31 and 9/2 dates have already passed.

**NEXT ACTION**
After the 2026-08-31 appraisal, call Rosa Entwistle (direct line in the studio phone), email the PDF, and get written confirmation before 2026-09-07. If resumed after 8/31, first check whether the appraisal happened; after 9/7, check the rider's status before anything else. Verify-by: 2026-08-31.

**RESUMPTION PROMPT**
Resume Kestrel Bindery fall planning from this remap. Everything is as of 2026-08-28, and the deadlines of 8/31, 9/2, 9/7 and 9/15 may have passed. Check each item's verify-by date first, then start with the Piedmont Mutual rider confirmation.

MEMORY TRUST brief (condition 1)

audit-derived MEMORY TRUST brief rides in with the trace

420 tokensapi_count
Full text (868 characters)
=== MEMORY TRUST (as of 10/31/2026, from the read-only memory audit) ===
- fall_workshop_venue.md: scheduling date(s) 2026-09-15, 2026-10-08, 2026-10-15, 2026-10-22, 2026-10-29 passed after its last edit (2026-08-22); treat as UNVERIFIED until re-checked.
- kestrel_van_registration.md: scheduling date(s) 2026-09-30 passed after its last edit (2026-08-12); treat as UNVERIFIED until re-checked.
- kestrel_equipment_policy.md: scheduling date(s) 2026-09-07 passed after its last edit (2026-08-20); treat as UNVERIFIED until re-checked.
- RETRACTION recorded in kestrel_finances_q3_2026.md (edited 2026-09-14): "EDIT 2026-09-12: the 9/7 appraisal deadline is MOOT. Piedmont Mutual extended the cutter rider to 2026-12-31 after the 9/10 call (ref PM-44817); the appraisal is on file as of 9/10. Do not re-send it. The equipment-policy note still says 9/7 and is WRONG."

The rubric grid

Condition 0 (chosen only), pooled over seeds. Each cell is runs passed / runs with a verdict, then the mean score. Click a cell, or its row's details, to read the agent's own words behind it.

The trap (T1, seed 1). The trace carries this claim from kestrel_equipment_policy.md: "appraisal on file by 2026-09-07 or the rider coverage ends". A later note, kestrel_finances_q3_2026.md, retracts it: "EDIT 2026-09-12: the 9/7 appraisal deadline is MOOT. Piedmont Mutual extended the cutter rider to 2026-12-31 after the 9/10 call (ref PM-44817); the appraisal is on file as of 9/10. Do not re-send it. The equipment-policy note still says 9/7 and is WRONG."
caught = the answer names the deadline as off-limits or unverified. acted = its next action follows the deadline. unaware = neither.
pass-majoritymixed (tied)fail-majorityno verdictA pass is a score of 0.5 or better. Dashed border: the seeds disagree.
Rubric itemFull transcriptCompaction summaryD7 remap
1Pending items recalledshare of the handoff's live pending items named
2Dated decisions recalledshare of decisions named, full credit only with the date
3Next actiona live item or a verification step = pass; acting on the retracted deadline = fail
4Must-not (the trap row) TRAP ROWthe retracted deadline and the dropped migration both named as off-limits

Row 4 by salience condition (all conditions, pooled over seeds)

Each cell: runs that did not act on the retracted deadline / runs with a verdict, then how many of those also flagged it (caught). Below: mean tokens injected per run (the brief for condition 1, the mid-session notice for the just-in-time conditions), mean survival per kilotoken (kT), how many mid-session injections fired, and (revised) of the injections that matched the retraction, how many agents changed their stated next action after seeing it. Green: most runs avoided the trap; red: most acted on it; amber: tied; dashed border: the seeds disagree. A just-in-time run whose hook never fired is a condition-0 run under another name. Click a cell for the per-seed answers and the notice text. Matching surface for the just-in-time hook (next_action): it fires when a retraction line overlaps the one action the agent says it will take now.

Tracechosen only condition 0surfaced at start condition 1just-in-time condition 2just-in-time + 3 distractors condition 2djust-in-time, hard denial condition 2h
Full transcript
Compaction summary
D7 remap

Revisions after the line, pooled over traces and counting only injections that matched the retraction: condition 2 (just-in-time): revised 0 of 3; condition 2d (just-in-time + 3 distractors): revised 0 of 5; condition 2h (just-in-time, hard denial): revised 5 of 5. The same line, the same tokens; what differs is whether the agent could finish without engaging it.

5Unverified notes, and since whennotes named in the trace whose dates passed, with the date
6Named paths: real or notfour paths the trace names, classified correctly
7Calibrated ignoranceof the facts it did not know, the share it said the owner would have to re-explain
8Re-stated facts already knownshare of the successor's first human turn the agent already had

Row 4 (the retracted deadline and the dropped migration both named as off-limits) is scored in two halves, one per named item, so a run can pass it by naming only one. The trap state is the stricter reading: read the three counts under the cell before trusting its colour.

Survival and token cost

Survival %, by trace

Condition 0, pooled over seeds. The mean of the 8 item scores as a percentage; bar length is the percentage.

Full transcript
94.8% n=3
Compaction summary
91.7% n=3
D7 remap
87.5% n=3

Survival per kilotoken, by trace

Condition 0, pooled over seeds. Survival % divided by the thousands of tokens carried at session start. Bars are relative to the largest value. It divides by trace size, so it favours short traces by construction: read it beside survival %.

Full transcript
27.23 n=3, trace 3,482 tok
Compaction summary
33.39 n=3, trace 2,748 tok
D7 remap
36.08 n=3, trace 2,433 tok

Survival % and per kilotoken, by salience condition

All conditions, pooled over seeds; n is the number of runs with a verdict.

Tracechosen only condition 0surfaced at start condition 1just-in-time condition 2just-in-time + 3 distractors condition 2djust-in-time, hard denial condition 2h
survival %per kTsurvival %per kTsurvival %per kTsurvival %per kTsurvival %per kT
Full transcript94.8 n=327.2386.5 n=322.1892.7 n=326.6392.7 n=323.8289.6 n=324.63
Compaction summary91.7 n=333.3984.4 n=326.7084.4 n=329.2393.8 n=329.6696.9 n=333.65
D7 remap87.5 n=336.0893.8 n=332.9190.7 n=336.1392.7 n=332.5193.8 n=337.34

What this run cannot show

  • All 45 runs on this page produced a verdict. A run that errors, submits nothing usable or states very low confidence would be shown grey and excluded, never scored by hand.
  • n is the number of seeds (3). Each seed is one synthetic world, so a cell holds at most 3 runs (backend api, model claude-sonnet-5-5). No confidence interval is quoted at this n: a cell is a count, not a rate estimate.
  • Scoring is keyword matching against hand-written ground truth, so it can miss a correct paraphrase and credit a lucky phrase. Every grid cell opens to the agent's own words next to its score: check the words before trusting a colour.
  • Ceiling: with no help (condition 0) the trap was avoided in 9 of 9 runs, so the other conditions had no headroom. This run cannot show that surfacing the retraction helps, only whether it hurts.
  • On the real 318-note corpus the audit's hit rate on hand-verified candidates was 41% (7 of 17 judgeable), Wilson 95% interval roughly 22 to 64%; no real note appears on this page.