diff --git a/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml b/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml
index da5887f6..5e93cd96 100644
--- a/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -5,10 +5,6 @@ name: CI
 # sequential, so tag-triggered matrix jobs (~22 min) would queue AHEAD of the
 # tag's publish-source run and starve every release (observed on 8.10.3 and
 # 9.0.0: the publish sat behind the tag's own redundant CI).
-concurrency:
-  group: ci-${{ github.ref }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
-
 on:
   push:
     branches: ['**']
diff --git a/.forgejo/workflows/publish-source.yml b/.forgejo/workflows/publish-source.yml
index 6bd42b2a..58cb1d30 100644
--- a/.forgejo/workflows/publish-source.yml
+++ b/.forgejo/workflows/publish-source.yml
@@ -12,11 +12,6 @@ on:
   push:
     tags:
       - 'v*'
-  workflow_dispatch:
-    inputs:
-      ref_reason:
-        description: 'why this manual run (e.g. tag event dropped)'
-        required: false
 
 jobs:
   publish:
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a54d609e..7154d5a2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,18 @@
 
 All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file. See [standard-version](https://github.com/conventional-changelog/standard-version) for commit guidelines.
 
+### [10.4.6](https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraftlabs/open-brainy/compare/v10.4.5...v10.4.6) (2026-08-31)
+
+- fix(transact): metadata-index ops take their JSON-safe view at the crossing, not at construction (73500e7d)
+
+
+### [10.4.5](https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraftlabs/open-brainy/compare/v10.4.4...v10.4.5) (2026-08-31)
+
+- build(release): the docs-push step retires — this engine documents itself in its own repository (d6bcb14f)
+- fix(generations): a sealed segment may only declare the generations it holds (a963a744)
+- fix(recovery): a torn generation-log tail is a terminal verdict, never a wait (c9930871)
+
+
 ### [10.4.4](https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraftlabs/open-brainy/compare/v10.4.3...v10.4.4) (2026-08-28)
 
 - fix(vfs): the old-root sweep narrates only when it has something to say (d49148e1)
diff --git a/RELEASES.md b/RELEASES.md
index c875cb26..e8833b80 100644
--- a/RELEASES.md
+++ b/RELEASES.md
@@ -1,12 +1,5 @@
 # @soulcraft/brainy — Release Notes for Consumers
 
-Machine-readable release notes are published at
-https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraftlabs/releases/raw/branch/main/open-brainy.json
-(this engine) and
-https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraftlabs/releases/raw/branch/main/brainy.json
-(the product engine) — read by HQ's `/hq/releases` door, and the source of
-truth ahead of this file.
-
 This file is the **quick reference for downstream sessions** tracking Brainy changes.
 Full auto-generated changelog: `CHANGELOG.md` · Releases: https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraftlabs/open-brainy/releases
 
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index c4f66561..9e573da3 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@soulcraftlabs/brainy",
-  "version": "10.4.4",
+  "version": "10.4.6",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@soulcraftlabs/brainy",
-      "version": "10.4.4",
+      "version": "10.4.6",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "@msgpack/msgpack": "^3.1.2",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 06ce0253..51322998 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@soulcraftlabs/brainy",
-  "version": "10.4.4",
+  "version": "10.4.6",
   "brainyContract": 1,
   "description": "Universal Knowledge Protocol™ - World's first Triple Intelligence database unifying vector, graph, and document search in one API. Stage 3 CANONICAL: 42 nouns × 127 verbs covering 96-97% of all human knowledge.",
   "main": "dist/index.js",
diff --git a/scripts/release.sh b/scripts/release.sh
index 142fa06f..1a4fe575 100755
--- a/scripts/release.sh
+++ b/scripts/release.sh
@@ -154,8 +154,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 # Create new changelog entry
-RELEASE_DATE=$(date +%Y-%m-%d)
-CHANGELOG_ENTRY="### [${NEW_VERSION}](https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraftlabs/open-brainy/compare/v${CURRENT_VERSION}...v${NEW_VERSION}) (${RELEASE_DATE})
+CHANGELOG_ENTRY="### [${NEW_VERSION}](https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraftlabs/open-brainy/compare/v${CURRENT_VERSION}...v${NEW_VERSION}) ($(date +%Y-%m-%d))
 
 ${COMMITS}
 "
@@ -175,19 +174,6 @@ if [ -f "CHANGELOG.md" ]; then
 fi
 echo -e "${GREEN}✅ CHANGELOG updated${NC}\n"
 
-# Step 6b: Update the releases wall entry — mechanical, derived from the
-# CHANGELOG entry just composed. The fleet's HQ page reads open-brainy.json
-# from the one shared releases repo, soulcraftlabs/releases on The Source —
-# this used to be hand-written after every release (David: never again —
-# make it a step of the rail, landed in the one shared home; this repo no
-# longer hosts its own copy). This step clones/fetches that repo into a
-# local cache, prepends the entry, and pushes it directly — a real
-# cross-repo push, refusing loudly (never skipping) on any
-# clone/validation/commit/push failure.
-echo -e "${BLUE}5️⃣▸ Updating the releases wall...${NC}"
-node scripts/wall-entry.mjs --product open-brainy --version "${NEW_VERSION}" --date "${RELEASE_DATE}" --from-changelog CHANGELOG.md
-echo -e "${GREEN}✅ Releases wall updated${NC}\n"
-
 # Step 7: Create release commit
 echo -e "${BLUE}6️⃣  Creating release commit...${NC}"
 git add package.json package-lock.json CHANGELOG.md
@@ -251,7 +237,7 @@ fi
 # and RELEASES.md are the record; this just gives The Source's UI a release page).
 echo -e "${BLUE}🔟 Creating release page on The Source...${NC}"
 if [ -n "${FORGEJO_RELEASE_TOKEN:-}" ]; then
-  if curl -sf -X POST "https://source.soulcraft.com/api/v1/repos/soulcraftlabs/open-brainy/releases" \
+  if curl -sf -X POST "https://source.soulcraft.com/api/v1/repos/soulcraft/brainy/releases" \
     -H "Authorization: token ${FORGEJO_RELEASE_TOKEN}" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d "{\"tag_name\":\"v${NEW_VERSION}\",\"name\":\"v${NEW_VERSION}\",\"prerelease\":${PRERELEASE}}" >/dev/null; then
     echo -e "${GREEN}✅ Release page created on The Source${NC}\n"
diff --git a/scripts/wall-entry.mjs b/scripts/wall-entry.mjs
deleted file mode 100644
index d4ec7ba5..00000000
--- a/scripts/wall-entry.mjs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,504 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env node
-/**
- * @module scripts/wall-entry
- * @description The releases-wall entry, made mechanical. The fleet's HQ page
- * reads one public JSON per product from the ONE releases repo on The Source
- * (soulcraftlabs/releases, files <product>.json at its root — shape
- * {product, entries:[{version, date, headline, items, url, thumb?}]}), at
- * https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraftlabs/releases/raw/branch/main/<product>.json.
- * Those entries were hand-written after every release, then briefly written
- * into this repo's own releases/<product>.json; this script is the one door
- * that composes an entry and lands it in the shared repo, so it is never
- * hand-written and never forked across repos again.
- *
- * Two modes:
- *
- *   1. Generate + publish (default):
- *        node wall-entry.mjs --product <p> --version <v> --date <YYYY-MM-DD> \
- *          --from-changelog <CHANGELOG.md>
- *      Derives an entry from the CHANGELOG.md entry for <v> (headline = the
- *      entry's first bullet, items = every bullet, trimmed of its trailing
- *      commit hash), then:
- *        - clones (or, if a cached clone already exists, fetches and resets)
- *          the releases repo into a local cache directory,
- *        - prepends the entry to <cache>/<p>.json, newest first — replacing
- *          any existing entry for the same version so a re-run is idempotent,
- *        - validates the file's shape before and after,
- *        - commits the change as "chore(wall): <p> <v>" and pushes main.
- *      A failure at any step (clone, validation, commit, push, a
- *      non-fast-forward remote) exits non-zero naming the cure. Nothing is
- *      ever skipped — the wall either lands correctly or the release fails.
- *
- *   2. Dry run:
- *        node wall-entry.mjs --dry-run --product <p> --version <v> \
- *          --date <YYYY-MM-DD> --from-changelog <CHANGELOG.md>
- *      Derives the entry exactly as above and prints it, along with the file
- *      it would be written to, but touches no clone and no remote — usable
- *      from a fresh checkout with no cache and no network.
- *
- *   3. Validate only (--check):
- *        node wall-entry.mjs --check --file <path/to/product.json>
- *      Validates an arbitrary wall file's exact key set (top-level and
- *      per-entry), field types, and strict-descending semver ordering with
- *      no duplicates. Read-only; never writes. Exit 0 = clean, exit 1 =
- *      named violations printed to stderr.
- *
- * The remote and the local cache directory are each overridable
- * (--remote / --cache-dir, or WALL_ENTRY_RELEASES_REMOTE /
- * WALL_ENTRY_RELEASES_CACHE_DIR) so tests can point at a throwaway local
- * bare repo and a throwaway cache directory — never the real remote or the
- * real developer cache.
- *
- * No dependencies beyond the system `git` binary — CHANGELOG parsing,
- * semver comparison, and JSON shape checking are all hand-rolled below.
- */
-
-import { readFileSync, writeFileSync, existsSync, mkdirSync } from 'node:fs'
-import { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process'
-import { homedir } from 'node:os'
-import { dirname, join } from 'node:path'
-
-const DEFAULT_REMOTE = 'git@source.soulcraft.com:soulcraftlabs/releases.git'
-
-/** @returns {string} */
-function defaultCacheDir() {
-  const base = process.env.XDG_CACHE_HOME || join(homedir(), '.cache')
-  return join(base, 'soulcraft-releases')
-}
-
-// Required on every entry; "thumb" is optional (may be absent, or present as
-// string | null) — matching the HQ contract's {..., thumb?}.
-const ENTRY_REQUIRED_KEYS = ['version', 'date', 'headline', 'items', 'url']
-const ENTRY_OPTIONAL_KEYS = ['thumb']
-const ENTRY_ALLOWED_KEYS = [...ENTRY_REQUIRED_KEYS, ...ENTRY_OPTIONAL_KEYS]
-const FILE_KEYS = ['product', 'entries']
-
-// The public permalink pattern, by product. Every entry MUST carry an https
-// permalink: HQ's parser rejects a wall whose entries carry url: null (the
-// whole feed became unreadable on 2026-09-02). A product whose forge repo is
-// private links its PUBLIC package page on The Source instead of a release
-// page that would 404 for HQ's readers.
-const RELEASE_URL_PATTERNS = {
-  'open-brainy': (version) => `https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraftlabs/open-brainy/releases/tag/v${version}`,
-  'brainy': (version) => `https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraft/-/packages/npm/@soulcraft%2Fbrainy/${version}`,
-}
-
-/**
- * Parse argv into a flag map. `--flag value` sets a string; `--flag` alone
- * (end of argv, or followed by another `--flag`) sets boolean true.
- * @param {string[]} argv
- * @returns {Record<string, string | true>}
- */
-function parseArgs(argv) {
-  /** @type {Record<string, string | true>} */
-  const args = {}
-  for (let i = 0; i < argv.length; i++) {
-    const a = argv[i]
-    if (!a.startsWith('--')) continue
-    const key = a.slice(2)
-    const next = argv[i + 1]
-    if (next === undefined || next.startsWith('--')) {
-      args[key] = true
-    } else {
-      args[key] = next
-      i++
-    }
-  }
-  return args
-}
-
-/**
- * Print a loud, named error and exit 1. Every refusal in this script goes
- * through here so the failure mode is always the same shape: "wall-entry: <what>".
- * @param {string} message
- * @returns {never}
- */
-function fail(message) {
-  console.error(`wall-entry: ${message}`)
-  process.exit(1)
-}
-
-/**
- * @param {string} version
- * @returns {{major: number, minor: number, patch: number, pre: string | null} | null}
- */
-function parseSemver(version) {
-  const m = /^(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)(?:-([0-9A-Za-z.-]+))?$/.exec(version)
-  if (!m) return null
-  return { major: Number(m[1]), minor: Number(m[2]), patch: Number(m[3]), pre: m[4] ?? null }
-}
-
-/**
- * @param {string} a
- * @param {string} b
- * @returns {number} positive if a > b, negative if a < b, 0 if equal.
- */
-function compareSemver(a, b) {
-  const pa = parseSemver(a)
-  const pb = parseSemver(b)
-  if (!pa || !pb) throw new Error(`cannot compare non-semver versions "${a}" vs "${b}"`)
-  if (pa.major !== pb.major) return pa.major - pb.major
-  if (pa.minor !== pb.minor) return pa.minor - pb.minor
-  if (pa.patch !== pb.patch) return pa.patch - pb.patch
-  if (pa.pre === pb.pre) return 0
-  if (pa.pre === null) return 1 // a release outranks any prerelease of the same core version
-  if (pb.pre === null) return -1
-  return pa.pre < pb.pre ? -1 : pa.pre > pb.pre ? 1 : 0
-}
-
-/**
- * Validate a wall file's full shape: top-level keys ("product", "entries" —
- * no more, no less), per-entry keys and field types ("thumb" optional), and
- * strict-descending semver ordering with no duplicates. Collects every
- * violation instead of failing on the first, so a caller reports the whole
- * picture in one pass.
- * @param {unknown} data
- * @returns {string[]} Violation messages; empty means the file is clean.
- */
-function validateShape(data) {
-  /** @type {string[]} */
-  const errors = []
-
-  if (typeof data !== 'object' || data === null || Array.isArray(data)) {
-    return ['top level: expected a JSON object']
-  }
-  const obj = /** @type {Record<string, unknown>} */ (data)
-
-  const topKeys = Object.keys(obj)
-  const missingTop = FILE_KEYS.filter((k) => !(k in obj))
-  const extraTop = topKeys.filter((k) => !FILE_KEYS.includes(k))
-  if (missingTop.length) errors.push(`top level: missing key(s) ${missingTop.join(', ')}`)
-  if (extraTop.length) errors.push(`top level: unexpected key(s) ${extraTop.join(', ')}`)
-
-  if (typeof obj.product !== 'string' || obj.product.trim() === '') {
-    errors.push('top level: "product" must be a non-empty string')
-  }
-  if (!Array.isArray(obj.entries)) {
-    errors.push('top level: "entries" must be an array')
-    return errors // nothing further to check without an array
-  }
-
-  const entries = /** @type {unknown[]} */ (obj.entries)
-  entries.forEach((rawEntry, i) => {
-    const label = `entries[${i}]`
-    if (typeof rawEntry !== 'object' || rawEntry === null || Array.isArray(rawEntry)) {
-      errors.push(`${label}: expected an object`)
-      return
-    }
-    const entry = /** @type {Record<string, unknown>} */ (rawEntry)
-    const keys = Object.keys(entry)
-    const missing = ENTRY_REQUIRED_KEYS.filter((k) => !(k in entry))
-    const extra = keys.filter((k) => !ENTRY_ALLOWED_KEYS.includes(k))
-    if (missing.length) errors.push(`${label}: missing key(s) ${missing.join(', ')}`)
-    if (extra.length) errors.push(`${label}: unexpected key(s) ${extra.join(', ')}`)
-
-    if (typeof entry.version !== 'string' || !parseSemver(entry.version)) {
-      errors.push(`${label}: "version" must be a semver string (got ${JSON.stringify(entry.version)})`)
-    }
-    if (typeof entry.date !== 'string' || !/^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$/.test(entry.date) || Number.isNaN(Date.parse(entry.date))) {
-      errors.push(`${label}: "date" must be a YYYY-MM-DD string (got ${JSON.stringify(entry.date)})`)
-    }
-    if (typeof entry.headline !== 'string' || entry.headline.trim() === '') {
-      errors.push(`${label}: "headline" must be a non-empty string`)
-    }
-    if (!Array.isArray(entry.items) || entry.items.length === 0 || entry.items.some((it) => typeof it !== 'string' || it.trim() === '')) {
-      errors.push(`${label}: "items" must be a non-empty array of non-empty strings`)
-    }
-    if (typeof entry.url !== 'string' || !/^https:\/\/\S+$/.test(entry.url)) {
-      errors.push(`${label}: "url" must be an https permalink — never null; HQ's parser rejects the whole feed`)
-    }
-    if ('thumb' in entry && !(entry.thumb === null || typeof entry.thumb === 'string')) {
-      errors.push(`${label}: "thumb" must be a string or null when present`)
-    }
-  })
-
-  // Ordering: newest first, strictly descending, no duplicate versions —
-  // checked only over entries whose version parsed (a bad version is
-  // already reported above; comparing it too would just be noise).
-  const versioned = entries
-    .map((e, i) => ({ i, version: /** @type {any} */ (e)?.version }))
-    .filter((e) => typeof e.version === 'string' && parseSemver(e.version))
-  for (let i = 0; i < versioned.length - 1; i++) {
-    const a = versioned[i]
-    const b = versioned[i + 1]
-    const cmp = compareSemver(a.version, b.version)
-    if (cmp === 0) {
-      errors.push(`entries[${a.i}] and entries[${b.i}]: duplicate version ${a.version}`)
-    } else if (cmp < 0) {
-      errors.push(`entries[${a.i}] (${a.version}) sits above entries[${b.i}] (${b.version}) — not newest-first`)
-    }
-  }
-
-  return errors
-}
-
-/**
- * Extract one version's entry body from a standard-version-style CHANGELOG.md
- * (headings `### [version](url) (date)`, followed by `- bullet (hash)` lines
- * until the next heading or EOF).
- * @param {string} changelog
- * @param {string} version
- * @returns {string[]} Bullet lines, trimmed of their leading "- " and
- *   trailing " (hash)".
- */
-function extractChangelogBullets(changelog, version) {
-  const lines = changelog.split('\n')
-  const headingRe = /^### \[([^\]]+)\]\(.*\)\s*\(\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}\)\s*$/
-  let start = -1
-  for (let i = 0; i < lines.length; i++) {
-    const m = headingRe.exec(lines[i])
-    if (m && m[1] === version) {
-      start = i + 1
-      break
-    }
-  }
-  if (start === -1) {
-    fail(
-      `version ${version} has no CHANGELOG entry yet — run this after the CHANGELOG step composes "### [${version}]", not before`,
-    )
-  }
-  /** @type {string[]} */
-  const bullets = []
-  for (let i = start; i < lines.length; i++) {
-    if (headingRe.test(lines[i])) break // next entry starts
-    const bulletMatch = /^- (.+?)(?:\s\(([0-9a-f]{6,40})\))?$/.exec(lines[i].trim())
-    if (lines[i].trim().startsWith('- ') && bulletMatch) {
-      const text = bulletMatch[1].trim()
-      if (text) bullets.push(text)
-    }
-  }
-  if (bullets.length === 0) {
-    fail(`version ${version}'s CHANGELOG entry has no bullets to derive a headline/items from`)
-  }
-  return bullets
-}
-
-/**
- * Derive a wall entry from a CHANGELOG.md.
- * @param {{product: string, version: string, date: string, changelogPath: string, url?: string, thumb?: string | null}} opts
- * @returns {{version: string, date: string, headline: string, items: string[], url: string, thumb: string | null}}
- */
-function deriveEntry({ product, version, date, changelogPath, url, thumb }) {
-  if (!parseSemver(version)) fail(`--version "${version}" is not a semver string`)
-  if (!/^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$/.test(date) || Number.isNaN(Date.parse(date))) {
-    fail(`--date "${date}" is not a YYYY-MM-DD date`)
-  }
-  if (!existsSync(changelogPath)) fail(`--from-changelog "${changelogPath}" does not exist`)
-
-  const changelog = readFileSync(changelogPath, 'utf8')
-  const items = extractChangelogBullets(changelog, version)
-  const headline = items[0]
-
-  const pattern = RELEASE_URL_PATTERNS[product]
-  if (url === undefined && pattern === undefined) {
-    throw new Error(`wall-entry: no permalink pattern for product "${product}" — add one to RELEASE_URL_PATTERNS or pass --url; entries never carry url: null`)
-  }
-  const resolvedUrl = url !== undefined ? url : pattern(version)
-  const resolvedThumb = thumb !== undefined ? thumb : null
-
-  return { version, date, headline, items, url: resolvedUrl, thumb: resolvedThumb }
-}
-
-/**
- * Load and shape-validate a wall file.
- * @param {string} filePath
- * @returns {Record<string, any>}
- */
-function loadWallFile(filePath) {
-  if (!existsSync(filePath)) fail(`"${filePath}" does not exist`)
-  /** @type {unknown} */
-  let data
-  try {
-    data = JSON.parse(readFileSync(filePath, 'utf8'))
-  } catch (err) {
-    fail(`"${filePath}" is not valid JSON: ${/** @type {Error} */ (err).message}`)
-  }
-  const errors = validateShape(data)
-  if (errors.length) {
-    fail(`"${filePath}" fails shape validation —\n  ${errors.join('\n  ')}`)
-  }
-  return /** @type {Record<string, any>} */ (data)
-}
-
-/**
- * Run a git command, throwing an Error whose message is git's own stderr
- * (trimmed) on failure — every caller wraps this to name the cure.
- * @param {string[]} args
- * @param {string} cwd
- * @returns {string} stdout, trimmed.
- */
-function git(args, cwd) {
-  try {
-    return execFileSync('git', args, { cwd, encoding: 'utf8', stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'pipe'] }).trim()
-  } catch (err) {
-    const stderr = /** @type {any} */ (err).stderr
-    const message = (typeof stderr === 'string' && stderr.trim()) || /** @type {Error} */ (err).message
-    throw new Error(message)
-  }
-}
-
-/**
- * Ensure a clean, up-to-date local clone of the releases repo at
- * `cacheDir`, checked out on `main` — cloning fresh if `cacheDir` has no
- * `.git`, otherwise fetching and hard-resetting onto `origin/main` (so a
- * stray local commit or edit left by a previous failed run can never leak
- * into the next one).
- * @param {string} remote
- * @param {string} cacheDir
- */
-function ensureReleasesClone(remote, cacheDir) {
-  if (existsSync(join(cacheDir, '.git'))) {
-    try {
-      git(['remote', 'set-url', 'origin', remote], cacheDir)
-      git(['fetch', '--prune', 'origin'], cacheDir)
-      git(['checkout', 'main'], cacheDir)
-      git(['reset', '--hard', 'origin/main'], cacheDir)
-      git(['clean', '-fd'], cacheDir)
-    } catch (err) {
-      fail(
-        `cannot refresh the cached releases checkout at "${cacheDir}" from "${remote}" — ${/** @type {Error} */ (err).message}\n` +
-          `  cure: delete "${cacheDir}" and re-run so it re-clones from scratch, or confirm SSH access with "ssh -T git@source.soulcraft.com"`,
-      )
-    }
-    return
-  }
-
-  mkdirSync(dirname(cacheDir), { recursive: true })
-  try {
-    git(['clone', remote, cacheDir], dirname(cacheDir))
-  } catch (err) {
-    fail(
-      `cannot clone "${remote}" — ${/** @type {Error} */ (err).message}\n` +
-        `  cure: confirm SSH access with "ssh -T git@source.soulcraft.com" and that the soulcraftlabs/releases repo exists yet`,
-    )
-  }
-  try {
-    git(['checkout', 'main'], cacheDir)
-  } catch (err) {
-    fail(
-      `cloned "${remote}" into "${cacheDir}" but could not check out "main" — ${/** @type {Error} */ (err).message}\n` +
-        `  cure: confirm the releases repo's default branch is named "main"`,
-    )
-  }
-}
-
-/**
- * Prepend `entry` to the wall at `<cacheDir>/<product>.json`, replacing any
- * existing entry for the same version (idempotent re-runs), validating
- * before and after, committing, and pushing — or refusing loudly, naming
- * the cure, at whichever step fails.
- * @param {{version: string, date: string, headline: string, items: string[], url: string, thumb: string | null}} entry
- * @param {string} product
- * @param {string} remote
- * @param {string} cacheDir
- */
-function publishEntry(entry, product, remote, cacheDir) {
-  ensureReleasesClone(remote, cacheDir)
-
-  const filePath = join(cacheDir, `${product}.json`)
-  if (!existsSync(filePath)) {
-    fail(
-      `"${filePath}" does not exist in the releases repo — cure: seed "${product}.json" at the repo root first (it must exist before any release rail can prepend to it)`,
-    )
-  }
-  const wall = loadWallFile(filePath)
-
-  if (wall.product !== product) {
-    fail(`"${filePath}" has product "${wall.product}", but --product "${product}" was given — refusing a cross-product write`)
-  }
-
-  const replacing = wall.entries.some((e) => e.version === entry.version)
-  wall.entries = [entry, ...wall.entries.filter((e) => e.version !== entry.version)]
-
-  const postErrors = validateShape(wall)
-  if (postErrors.length) {
-    fail(`the entry for ${entry.version} would leave "${filePath}" invalid —\n  ${postErrors.join('\n  ')}`)
-  }
-
-  writeFileSync(filePath, JSON.stringify(wall, null, 2) + '\n', 'utf8')
-
-  const status = git(['status', '--porcelain', '--', `${product}.json`], cacheDir)
-  if (status === '') {
-    console.log(`wall-entry: "${product}.json" already carries an identical entry for ${entry.version} — nothing to commit or push`)
-    return
-  }
-
-  try {
-    git(['add', `${product}.json`], cacheDir)
-    git(['commit', '-m', `chore(wall): ${product} ${entry.version}`], cacheDir)
-  } catch (err) {
-    fail(`cannot commit the wall entry in "${cacheDir}" — ${/** @type {Error} */ (err).message}\n  cure: inspect "${cacheDir}" by hand and re-run once its git state is clean`)
-  }
-
-  try {
-    git(['push', 'origin', 'main'], cacheDir)
-  } catch (err) {
-    fail(
-      `push to "${remote}" failed (likely a non-fast-forward — another release landed on main first) — ${/** @type {Error} */ (err).message}\n` +
-        `  cure: re-run this release step; it re-fetches and resets onto the latest origin/main before retrying`,
-    )
-  }
-
-  const sha = git(['rev-parse', 'HEAD'], cacheDir)
-  console.log(
-    `wall-entry: ${replacing ? 'replaced' : 'wrote'} v${entry.version} in "${product}.json" (${wall.entries.length} entries, newest first) — pushed ${sha} to ${remote} main`,
-  )
-}
-
-function main() {
-  const args = parseArgs(process.argv.slice(2))
-
-  if (args.check) {
-    const filePath = /** @type {string | undefined} */ (args.file)
-    if (!filePath) fail('--check needs --file <path>')
-    const wall = loadWallFile(/** @type {string} */ (filePath))
-    console.log(`wall-entry --check: "${filePath}" OK — product "${wall.product}", ${wall.entries.length} entries, newest-first, no duplicates`)
-    process.exit(0)
-  }
-
-  // Generate mode (default, also covers --dry-run): --product, --version,
-  // --date, --from-changelog required.
-  const product = /** @type {string | undefined} */ (args.product)
-  const version = /** @type {string | undefined} */ (args.version)
-  const date = /** @type {string | undefined} */ (args.date)
-  const fromChangelog = /** @type {string | undefined} */ (args['from-changelog'])
-
-  const missing = []
-  if (!product) missing.push('--product')
-  if (!version) missing.push('--version')
-  if (!date) missing.push('--date')
-  if (!fromChangelog) missing.push('--from-changelog')
-  if (missing.length) {
-    fail(
-      `missing required flag(s): ${missing.join(', ')}\n` +
-        'Usage:\n' +
-        '  wall-entry.mjs --product <p> --version <v> --date <YYYY-MM-DD> --from-changelog <CHANGELOG.md> [--dry-run]\n' +
-        '  wall-entry.mjs --check --file <path/to/product.json>',
-    )
-  }
-
-  const urlArg = args.url === true ? undefined : /** @type {string | undefined} */ (args.url)
-  const thumbArg = args.thumb === true ? undefined : /** @type {string | undefined} */ (args.thumb)
-
-  const entry = deriveEntry({
-    product: /** @type {string} */ (product),
-    version: /** @type {string} */ (version),
-    date: /** @type {string} */ (date),
-    changelogPath: /** @type {string} */ (fromChangelog),
-    url: urlArg,
-    thumb: thumbArg,
-  })
-
-  const remote = /** @type {string} */ (args.remote ?? process.env.WALL_ENTRY_RELEASES_REMOTE ?? DEFAULT_REMOTE)
-  const cacheDir = /** @type {string} */ (args['cache-dir'] ?? process.env.WALL_ENTRY_RELEASES_CACHE_DIR ?? defaultCacheDir())
-
-  if (args['dry-run']) {
-    console.log(`wall-entry --dry-run: would write to "${join(cacheDir, `${product}.json`)}" in ${remote} (main), pushed as "chore(wall): ${product} ${version}"`)
-    console.log(JSON.stringify(entry, null, 2))
-    process.exit(0)
-  }
-
-  publishEntry(entry, /** @type {string} */ (product), remote, cacheDir)
-}
-
-main()
diff --git a/src/brainy.ts b/src/brainy.ts
index da04577e..06c947c2 100644
--- a/src/brainy.ts
+++ b/src/brainy.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { JsHnswVectorIndex } from './hnsw/hnswIndex.js'
 import { createStorage, resolveFilesystemRoot } from './storage/storageFactory.js'
 import type { StorageOptions } from './storage/storageFactory.js'
 import { rebuildCounts } from './utils/rebuildCounts.js'
+import { jsonSafeIndexMetadata } from './utils/jsonSafeIndexMetadata.js'
 import type { MetadataWriteBuffer } from './utils/metadataWriteBuffer.js'
 import { BaseStorage } from './storage/baseStorage.js'
 import {
@@ -4203,32 +4204,19 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
    */
   /**
    * @description A JSON-safe view of a record bound for the metadata-index
-   * crossing. The seam's metadata is JSON-safe BY CONTRACT (a native provider
-   * serializes it; u64 ints as Number corrupt above 2^53) — but
-   * {@link resolveVerbEndpointInts} MIRRORS the resolved endpoint ints onto
-   * the verb object itself as BigInt (`verb.sourceInt`/`targetInt`), so a
-   * verb object reused as index metadata carried BigInts into
-   * JSON.stringify, which throws, aborting the whole transaction (found by
-   * the first joint pair gate). Endpoint ints ride their OWN op params on the
-   * graph legs — the metadata crossing drops every BigInt-valued top-level
-   * key instead of guessing at a lossy numeric encoding.
+   * crossing — delegates to the shared {@link jsonSafeIndexMetadata} leaf,
+   * which the metadata-index transaction operations ALSO apply at execute
+   * and rollback time. This plan-time wrap alone proved insufficient: it
+   * returns the same reference when the record is clean, and `transact()`'s
+   * delete legs share that reference with a graph-retraction op whose
+   * execute-time endpoint resolution mirrors BigInt ints onto it (the full
+   * aliasing story lives on the leaf module's doc).
    * @param metadata - The candidate index-metadata record.
    * @returns The same object when already JSON-safe, else a shallow copy
    *   without the BigInt-valued keys.
    */
   private static jsonSafeIndexMetadata(metadata: unknown): unknown {
-    if (metadata === null || typeof metadata !== 'object') return metadata
-    const rec = metadata as Record<string, unknown>
-    let hasBigint = false
-    for (const k in rec) {
-      if (typeof rec[k] === 'bigint') { hasBigint = true; break }
-    }
-    if (!hasBigint) return metadata
-    const out: Record<string, unknown> = {}
-    for (const k in rec) {
-      if (typeof rec[k] !== 'bigint') out[k] = rec[k]
-    }
-    return out
+    return jsonSafeIndexMetadata(metadata)
   }
 
   private metadataIndexRetractionOp(
diff --git a/src/transaction/operations/IndexOperations.ts b/src/transaction/operations/IndexOperations.ts
index 1bbbca88..0142dc54 100644
--- a/src/transaction/operations/IndexOperations.ts
+++ b/src/transaction/operations/IndexOperations.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import type { MetadataIndexManager } from '../../utils/metadataIndex.js'
 import type { GraphVerb } from '../../coreTypes.js'
 import type { Operation, RollbackAction } from '../types.js'
 import { isZeroNormVector } from '../../utils/distance.js'
+import { jsonSafeIndexMetadata } from '../../utils/jsonSafeIndexMetadata.js'
 import { prodLog } from '../../utils/logger.js'
 
 /**
@@ -390,13 +391,21 @@ export class AddToMetadataIndexOperation implements Operation {
     // rollback so add + undo reference the same watermark.
     const generation = this.generationFn?.()
 
-    // Add to metadata index (skipFlush=true for transaction atomicity)
-    await this.index.addToIndex(this.id, this.entity, true, false, generation)
+    // The JSON-safe view is taken HERE, per crossing, never at construction:
+    // the entity reference this op holds can be mutated between plan and
+    // execute (a graph op's execute-time endpoint-int resolution mirrors
+    // BigInts onto a shared verb object) — see jsonSafeIndexMetadata's
+    // module doc.
+    await this.index.addToIndex(
+      this.id, jsonSafeIndexMetadata(this.entity), true, false, generation
+    )
 
     // Return rollback action
     return async () => {
       // Remove from metadata index
-      await this.index.removeFromIndex(this.id, this.entity, generation)
+      await this.index.removeFromIndex(
+        this.id, jsonSafeIndexMetadata(this.entity), generation
+      )
     }
   }
 }
@@ -432,13 +441,21 @@ export class RemoveFromMetadataIndexOperation implements Operation {
     // Resolve the removal generation once; reuse it for the rollback re-add.
     const generation = this.generationFn?.()
 
-    // Remove from metadata index
-    await this.index.removeFromIndex(this.id, this.entity, generation)
+    // Sanitized per crossing, never at construction — transact()'s delete
+    // legs hand this op the SAME verb object the graph-retraction op's
+    // execute-time endpoint resolution mutates (BigInt sourceInt/targetInt),
+    // so a plan-time view aliases the pollution. See jsonSafeIndexMetadata's
+    // module doc.
+    await this.index.removeFromIndex(
+      this.id, jsonSafeIndexMetadata(this.entity), generation
+    )
 
     // Return rollback action
     return async () => {
       // Re-add with original metadata (skipFlush=true)
-      await this.index.addToIndex(this.id, this.entity, true, false, generation)
+      await this.index.addToIndex(
+        this.id, jsonSafeIndexMetadata(this.entity), true, false, generation
+      )
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/utils/jsonSafeIndexMetadata.ts b/src/utils/jsonSafeIndexMetadata.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d3b1be5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/jsonSafeIndexMetadata.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+/**
+ * @module utils/jsonSafeIndexMetadata
+ * @description The metadata-index crossing's JSON-safety law, as a leaf
+ * function both the coordinator and the transaction operations share.
+ *
+ * The seam's metadata is JSON-safe BY CONTRACT (a native provider serializes
+ * it; u64 ints as Number corrupt above 2^53) — but `resolveVerbEndpointInts`
+ * MIRRORS the resolved endpoint ints onto the verb object itself as BigInt
+ * (`verb.sourceInt`/`targetInt`), so a verb object reused as index metadata
+ * carries BigInts into JSON.stringify, which throws, aborting the whole
+ * transaction. Endpoint ints ride their OWN op params on the graph legs — the
+ * metadata crossing drops every BigInt-valued top-level key instead of
+ * guessing at a lossy numeric encoding.
+ *
+ * WHY THIS IS A LEAF MODULE, ENFORCED AT THE CROSSING: sanitizing only at
+ * operation-construction time is not enough. `transact()`'s delete legs pass
+ * the SAME verb object to both the graph-retraction op (whose endpoint-int
+ * thunk deliberately resolves at EXECUTE time, for same-batch forward refs)
+ * and the metadata-retraction op. At plan time the verb is still clean, so a
+ * plan-time sanitize returns the same reference — then the graph op executes
+ * first, mirrors the BigInt ints onto the shared object, and the metadata op
+ * crosses the seam with them (found by the first fleet adoption of the native
+ * pair: every transact-wrapped edge delete aborted). The crossing itself is
+ * the only place ordering cannot bypass.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * A JSON-safe view of a record bound for the metadata-index crossing.
+ *
+ * @param metadata - The candidate index-metadata record.
+ * @returns The same object when already JSON-safe, else a shallow copy
+ *   without the BigInt-valued keys.
+ */
+export function jsonSafeIndexMetadata(metadata: unknown): unknown {
+  if (metadata === null || typeof metadata !== 'object') return metadata
+  const rec = metadata as Record<string, unknown>
+  let hasBigint = false
+  for (const k in rec) {
+    if (typeof rec[k] === 'bigint') { hasBigint = true; break }
+  }
+  if (!hasBigint) return metadata
+  const out: Record<string, unknown> = {}
+  for (const k in rec) {
+    if (typeof rec[k] !== 'bigint') out[k] = rec[k]
+  }
+  return out
+}
diff --git a/tests/integration/transact-edge-delete-bigint-aliasing.test.ts b/tests/integration/transact-edge-delete-bigint-aliasing.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b3902571
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/transact-edge-delete-bigint-aliasing.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+/**
+ * @module tests/integration/transact-edge-delete-bigint-aliasing
+ * @description Regression for a fleet-adoption blocker: ANY edge delete
+ * inside `transact()` — a direct unrelate or a noun-remove's cascade —
+ * aborted with the metadata seam's BigInt JSON-guard error on a strict
+ * (native) metadata provider.
+ *
+ * The aliasing chain: `planTxUnrelate`/the remove-cascade pass the SAME verb
+ * object to the graph-retraction op and the metadata-retraction op. The
+ * metadata leg's JSON-safe wrap ran at PLAN time, when the verb was still
+ * clean — so it returned the same reference. At EXECUTE time the graph op
+ * runs first and `resolveVerbEndpointInts` mirrors BigInt
+ * `sourceInt`/`targetInt` onto the shared object (deliberately deferred for
+ * same-batch forward refs — see transact-forward-ref-graph.test.ts); the
+ * metadata op then crossed the seam with the polluted object. Direct
+ * `unrelate()` resolves ints at BUILD time, before its sanitize, which is why
+ * only the transact() shapes ever hit it.
+ *
+ * Fix under pin: the JSON-safe view is taken AT THE CROSSING — inside the
+ * metadata-index operations' execute/rollback — so no plan-vs-execute
+ * ordering can bypass it. The JS baseline index tolerates BigInts (it would
+ * mask the bug), so these pins SPY on the seam and assert what actually
+ * crossed, exactly as a strict native provider would judge it.
+ */
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
+import * as fs from 'node:fs'
+import * as os from 'node:os'
+import * as path from 'node:path'
+import { Brainy } from '../../src/brainy.js'
+import { NounType, VerbType } from '../../src/types/graphTypes.js'
+import {
+  AddToMetadataIndexOperation,
+  RemoveFromMetadataIndexOperation
+} from '../../src/transaction/operations/index.js'
+
+let seq = 0
+const freshId = (): string =>
+  `00000000-0000-4000-8000-${(++seq).toString(16).padStart(12, '0')}`
+
+/** Top-level BigInt-valued keys of a candidate seam crossing (the guard's law). */
+const bigintKeys = (metadata: unknown): string[] => {
+  if (metadata === null || typeof metadata !== 'object') return []
+  return Object.entries(metadata as Record<string, unknown>)
+    .filter(([, v]) => typeof v === 'bigint')
+    .map(([k]) => k)
+}
+
+describe('transact() edge deletes never carry BigInt across the metadata seam', () => {
+  let dir: string
+  let brain: any
+  let crossings: Array<{ door: string; id: string; keys: string[] }>
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    process.env.BRAINY_DETERMINISTIC_EMBEDDINGS = 'true'
+    dir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'brainy-tx-bigint-'))
+    brain = new Brainy({
+      requireSubtype: false,
+      storage: { type: 'filesystem', path: dir },
+      dimensions: 384,
+      silent: true
+    })
+    await brain.init()
+
+    // Spy on the seam the way a strict native provider judges it: record the
+    // BigInt-valued top-level keys of every metadata argument that crosses.
+    // The JS baseline index tolerates BigInts, so without this the baseline
+    // run would green a shape the native pair aborts on.
+    crossings = []
+    const index = brain.metadataIndex
+    for (const door of ['addToIndex', 'removeFromIndex'] as const) {
+      const real = index[door].bind(index)
+      index[door] = (id: string, metadata: unknown, ...rest: unknown[]) => {
+        crossings.push({ door, id, keys: bigintKeys(metadata) })
+        return real(id, metadata, ...rest)
+      }
+    }
+  })
+
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close()
+    fs.rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true })
+  })
+
+  it('CASE 1 (the fleet repro): relate, then transact([{op: unrelate}])', async () => {
+    const a = await brain.add({ id: freshId(), data: 'a', type: NounType.Thing })
+    const b = await brain.add({ id: freshId(), data: 'b', type: NounType.Thing })
+    const verbId = await brain.relate({ from: a, to: b, type: VerbType.RelatedTo })
+
+    crossings.length = 0
+    await brain.transact([{ op: 'unrelate', id: verbId }])
+
+    const polluted = crossings.filter((c) => c.keys.length > 0)
+    expect(polluted).toEqual([])
+    expect(await brain.storage.getVerb(verbId)).toBeFalsy()
+  })
+
+  it('CASE 2 (the cascade shape): transact([{op: remove}]) cascading edge deletes', async () => {
+    const a = await brain.add({ id: freshId(), data: 'a', type: NounType.Thing })
+    const b = await brain.add({ id: freshId(), data: 'b', type: NounType.Thing })
+    const c = await brain.add({ id: freshId(), data: 'c', type: NounType.Thing })
+    const ab = await brain.relate({ from: a, to: b, type: VerbType.RelatedTo })
+    const ca = await brain.relate({ from: c, to: a, type: VerbType.RelatedTo })
+
+    crossings.length = 0
+    await brain.transact([{ op: 'remove', id: a }])
+
+    const polluted = crossings.filter((c2) => c2.keys.length > 0)
+    expect(polluted).toEqual([])
+    expect(await brain.get(a)).toBeFalsy()
+    expect(await brain.storage.getVerb(ab)).toBeFalsy()
+    expect(await brain.storage.getVerb(ca)).toBeFalsy()
+  })
+
+  it('CASE 3 (one batch, both legs): adds + relate + unrelate of a pre-existing edge', async () => {
+    const a = await brain.add({ id: freshId(), data: 'a', type: NounType.Thing })
+    const b = await brain.add({ id: freshId(), data: 'b', type: NounType.Thing })
+    const old = await brain.relate({ from: a, to: b, type: VerbType.RelatedTo })
+
+    const x = freshId()
+    crossings.length = 0
+    await brain.transact([
+      { op: 'add', id: x, data: 'x', type: NounType.Thing },
+      { op: 'relate', from: a, to: x, type: VerbType.RelatedTo },
+      { op: 'unrelate', id: old }
+    ])
+
+    const polluted = crossings.filter((c) => c.keys.length > 0)
+    expect(polluted).toEqual([])
+    expect(await brain.storage.getVerb(old)).toBeFalsy()
+    const edges = await brain.related({ from: a })
+    expect(edges.length).toBe(1)
+    expect(edges[0].id).not.toBe(old)
+  })
+})
+
+describe('the metadata-index operations sanitize at the crossing, not at construction', () => {
+  /** A strict seam: refuses BigInts exactly as the native provider does. */
+  const strictIndex = () => {
+    const seen: Array<{ door: string; keys: string[] }> = []
+    const judge = (door: string, metadata: unknown) => {
+      const keys = bigintKeys(metadata)
+      seen.push({ door, keys })
+      if (keys.length > 0) {
+        throw new Error(
+          `${door}: the metadata object violates the provider seam's JSON ` +
+            `contract — BigInt at ${keys.join(', ')}.`
+        )
+      }
+    }
+    return {
+      seen,
+      addToIndex: async (_id: string, metadata: unknown) => judge('addToIndex', metadata),
+      removeFromIndex: async (_id: string, metadata: unknown) => judge('removeFromIndex', metadata)
+    }
+  }
+
+  it('RemoveFromMetadataIndexOperation: entity mutated AFTER construction still crosses clean', async () => {
+    const index = strictIndex()
+    const verb: Record<string, unknown> = { id: 'v1', sourceId: 'a', targetId: 'b' }
+    const op = new RemoveFromMetadataIndexOperation(index as any, 'v1', verb, () => 7n)
+
+    // The graph leg's execute-time endpoint resolution, simulated: the shared
+    // object is polluted between plan and execute.
+    verb.sourceInt = 800_000n
+    verb.targetInt = 800_001n
+
+    const rollback = await op.execute()
+    await rollback()
+    expect(index.seen.map((s) => s.keys)).toEqual([[], []])
+  })
+
+  it('AddToMetadataIndexOperation: same law on the add leg and its rollback', async () => {
+    const index = strictIndex()
+    const verb: Record<string, unknown> = { id: 'v2', sourceId: 'a', targetId: 'b' }
+    const op = new AddToMetadataIndexOperation(index as any, 'v2', verb, () => 7n)
+
+    verb.sourceInt = 800_000n
+    verb.targetInt = 800_001n
+
+    const rollback = await op.execute()
+    await rollback()
+    expect(index.seen.map((s) => s.keys)).toEqual([[], []])
+  })
+})
diff --git a/tests/unit/release/wall-entry.test.ts b/tests/unit/release/wall-entry.test.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 8bf9d357..00000000
--- a/tests/unit/release/wall-entry.test.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,395 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * scripts/wall-entry.mjs — the mechanical releases-wall entry.
- *
- * The script's only real interface is its CLI (it has no importable
- * exports by design — one door, no parallel API to drift from it), so
- * these tests spawn it exactly as scripts/release.sh does: as a child
- * process, against a fixture CHANGELOG and a throwaway local bare repo
- * standing in for git@source.soulcraft.com:soulcraftlabs/releases.git
- * (--remote) plus a throwaway cache directory (--cache-dir) standing in
- * for ~/.cache/soulcraft-releases — never the real remote, never the
- * real developer cache.
- */
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
-import { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process'
-import { mkdtempSync, rmSync, writeFileSync, readFileSync, chmodSync } from 'node:fs'
-import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
-import { join } from 'node:path'
-
-const SCRIPT = join(process.cwd(), 'scripts/wall-entry.mjs')
-
-/** Run the script and capture the outcome without throwing on a non-zero exit. */
-function run(args: string[], cwd: string): { status: number; stdout: string; stderr: string } {
-  try {
-    const stdout = execFileSync('node', [SCRIPT, ...args], { cwd, encoding: 'utf8' })
-    return { status: 0, stdout, stderr: '' }
-  } catch (err: any) {
-    return { status: err.status ?? 1, stdout: err.stdout ?? '', stderr: err.stderr ?? '' }
-  }
-}
-
-function git(args: string[], cwd: string): string {
-  return execFileSync('git', ['-C', cwd, ...args], { encoding: 'utf8' }).trim()
-}
-
-const CHANGELOG_HEADER = '# Changelog\n\nAll notable changes, in this fixture.\n'
-
-/** Build a CHANGELOG.md with one entry per [version, bullets[]] pair, newest first. */
-function buildChangelog(entries: Array<{ version: string; date: string; bullets: string[] }>): string {
-  const body = entries
-    .map(
-      (e) =>
-        `### [${e.version}](https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraftlabs/open-brainy/compare/vX...v${e.version}) (${e.date})\n\n` +
-        e.bullets.map((b) => `- ${b} (abc1234)`).join('\n') +
-        '\n',
-    )
-    .join('\n')
-  return CHANGELOG_HEADER + '\n' + body
-}
-
-function wallFile(product: string, entries: unknown[]): string {
-  return JSON.stringify({ product, entries }, null, 2) + '\n'
-}
-
-const BASE_ENTRY = {
-  version: '10.4.11',
-  date: '2026-09-02',
-  headline: 'A faster open',
-  items: ['A faster open.'],
-  url: 'https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraftlabs/open-brainy/releases/tag/v10.4.11',
-  thumb: null,
-}
-
-/** A throwaway bare repo standing in for the real soulcraftlabs/releases remote. */
-function initBareRemote(): string {
-  const remoteDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'wall-remote-'))
-  execFileSync('git', ['init', '--bare', '-b', 'main', remoteDir])
-  return remoteDir
-}
-
-/** Seed the bare remote with an initial <product>.json, via a throwaway clone. */
-function seedRemote(remoteDir: string, product: string, entries: unknown[]): void {
-  const seedDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'wall-seed-'))
-  execFileSync('git', ['clone', remoteDir, seedDir], { stdio: 'ignore' })
-  git(['config', 'user.email', 'seed@example.com'], seedDir)
-  git(['config', 'user.name', 'Seed'], seedDir)
-  writeFileSync(join(seedDir, `${product}.json`), wallFile(product, entries))
-  git(['add', `${product}.json`], seedDir)
-  git(['commit', '-m', 'seed'], seedDir)
-  git(['push', 'origin', 'main'], seedDir)
-  rmSync(seedDir, { recursive: true, force: true })
-}
-
-/** Read <product>.json back out of the bare remote's main tip, via a throwaway clone. */
-function readRemote(remoteDir: string, product: string): any {
-  const readDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'wall-read-'))
-  execFileSync('git', ['clone', remoteDir, readDir], { stdio: 'ignore' })
-  const data = JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(readDir, `${product}.json`), 'utf8'))
-  rmSync(readDir, { recursive: true, force: true })
-  return data
-}
-
-/** Reject every push — stands in for any push failure (including a genuine
- * non-fast-forward raced by a concurrent release rail), which this script
- * treats identically: refuse loudly, name the cure, touch nothing further. */
-function makeRemoteRejectPushes(remoteDir: string): void {
-  const hookPath = join(remoteDir, 'hooks', 'pre-receive')
-  writeFileSync(hookPath, '#!/bin/sh\necho "remote: simulated push rejection" >&2\nexit 1\n')
-  chmodSync(hookPath, 0o755)
-}
-
-let dir: string
-let remoteDir: string
-let cacheDir: string
-
-beforeEach(() => {
-  dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'wall-entry-test-'))
-  remoteDir = initBareRemote()
-  cacheDir = join(mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'wall-cache-')), 'soulcraft-releases')
-})
-
-afterEach(() => {
-  rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true })
-  rmSync(remoteDir, { recursive: true, force: true })
-  rmSync(cacheDir, { recursive: true, force: true })
-})
-
-describe('wall-entry.mjs — generate + publish', () => {
-  it('derives headline from the first bullet and items from every bullet, hashes stripped, and pushes it to the remote', () => {
-    seedRemote(remoteDir, 'open-brainy', [BASE_ENTRY])
-    writeFileSync(
-      join(dir, 'CHANGELOG.md'),
-      buildChangelog([{ version: '10.4.12', date: '2026-09-03', bullets: ['fix(wall): mechanize the entry', 'test(wall): pin the shape'] }]),
-    )
-
-    const result = run(
-      ['--product', 'open-brainy', '--version', '10.4.12', '--date', '2026-09-03', '--from-changelog', 'CHANGELOG.md', '--remote', remoteDir, '--cache-dir', cacheDir],
-      dir,
-    )
-    expect(result.status).toBe(0)
-    expect(result.stdout).toMatch(/wrote v10\.4\.12.*pushed/i)
-
-    const wall = readRemote(remoteDir, 'open-brainy')
-    expect(wall.entries).toHaveLength(2)
-    expect(wall.entries[0]).toEqual({
-      version: '10.4.12',
-      date: '2026-09-03',
-      headline: 'fix(wall): mechanize the entry',
-      items: ['fix(wall): mechanize the entry', 'test(wall): pin the shape'],
-      url: 'https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraftlabs/open-brainy/releases/tag/v10.4.12',
-      thumb: null,
-    })
-    // the older entry stays put, still second
-    expect(wall.entries[1].version).toBe('10.4.11')
-  })
-
-  it('prepends newest-first — the new entry lands at index 0 ahead of every existing one', () => {
-    seedRemote(remoteDir, 'open-brainy', [BASE_ENTRY, { ...BASE_ENTRY, version: '10.4.10' }])
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'CHANGELOG.md'), buildChangelog([{ version: '10.5.0', date: '2026-09-03', bullets: ['feat: ten five'] }]))
-
-    run(['--product', 'open-brainy', '--version', '10.5.0', '--date', '2026-09-03', '--from-changelog', 'CHANGELOG.md', '--remote', remoteDir, '--cache-dir', cacheDir], dir)
-
-    const wall = readRemote(remoteDir, 'open-brainy')
-    expect(wall.entries.map((e: any) => e.version)).toEqual(['10.5.0', '10.4.11', '10.4.10'])
-  })
-
-  it('replaces an entry with the same version instead of duplicating it — idempotent re-runs', () => {
-    seedRemote(remoteDir, 'open-brainy', [
-      { ...BASE_ENTRY, headline: 'stale headline, pre-fix' },
-      { ...BASE_ENTRY, version: '10.4.10' },
-    ])
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'CHANGELOG.md'), buildChangelog([{ version: '10.4.11', date: '2026-09-02', bullets: ['fix: the corrected headline'] }]))
-
-    const result = run(
-      ['--product', 'open-brainy', '--version', '10.4.11', '--date', '2026-09-02', '--from-changelog', 'CHANGELOG.md', '--remote', remoteDir, '--cache-dir', cacheDir],
-      dir,
-    )
-    expect(result.status).toBe(0)
-    expect(result.stdout).toMatch(/replaced v10\.4\.11/i)
-
-    const wall = readRemote(remoteDir, 'open-brainy')
-    expect(wall.entries).toHaveLength(2) // not 3 — replaced, not duplicated
-    expect(wall.entries[0].version).toBe('10.4.11')
-    expect(wall.entries[0].headline).toBe('fix: the corrected headline')
-    expect(wall.entries[1].version).toBe('10.4.10')
-  })
-
-  it('a re-run with byte-identical content commits nothing and still succeeds', () => {
-    // headline always equals items[0] for a derived entry, so this fixture
-    // (unlike BASE_ENTRY, whose headline/items intentionally diverge for the
-    // shape-only tests below) has to keep the two in lockstep to ever roundtrip.
-    const stableEntry = { ...BASE_ENTRY, headline: 'A faster open.', items: ['A faster open.'] }
-    seedRemote(remoteDir, 'open-brainy', [stableEntry])
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'CHANGELOG.md'), buildChangelog([{ version: '10.4.11', date: '2026-09-02', bullets: ['A faster open.'] }]))
-    const before = readRemote(remoteDir, 'open-brainy')
-
-    const result = run(
-      ['--product', 'open-brainy', '--version', '10.4.11', '--date', '2026-09-02', '--from-changelog', 'CHANGELOG.md', '--remote', remoteDir, '--cache-dir', cacheDir],
-      dir,
-    )
-    expect(result.status).toBe(0)
-    expect(result.stdout).toMatch(/nothing to commit/i)
-    expect(readRemote(remoteDir, 'open-brainy')).toEqual(before)
-  })
-
-  it('derives the public package-page permalink for the product engine (private repo, never null)', () => {
-    seedRemote(remoteDir, 'brainy', [{ ...BASE_ENTRY, version: '11.0.5', url: 'https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraft/-/packages/npm/@soulcraft%2Fbrainy/11.0.5' }])
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'CHANGELOG.md'), buildChangelog([{ version: '11.0.6', date: '2026-09-03', bullets: ['fix: a native-only fix'] }]))
-
-    const result = run(
-      ['--product', 'brainy', '--version', '11.0.6', '--date', '2026-09-03', '--from-changelog', 'CHANGELOG.md', '--remote', remoteDir, '--cache-dir', cacheDir],
-      dir,
-    )
-    expect(result.status).toBe(0)
-
-    const wall = readRemote(remoteDir, 'brainy')
-    expect(wall.entries[0].url).toBe('https://source.soulcraft.com/soulcraft/-/packages/npm/@soulcraft%2Fbrainy/11.0.6')
-    expect(wall.entries[0].thumb).toBeNull()
-  })
-
-  it('refuses a product with no permalink pattern, naming the cure', () => {
-    seedRemote(remoteDir, 'open-brainy', [BASE_ENTRY])
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'CHANGELOG.md'), buildChangelog([{ version: '1.0.0', date: '2026-09-03', bullets: ['feat: first'] }]))
-
-    const result = run(['--product', 'mystery', '--version', '1.0.0', '--date', '2026-09-03', '--from-changelog', 'CHANGELOG.md', '--remote', remoteDir, '--cache-dir', cacheDir], dir)
-    expect(result.status).not.toBe(0)
-    expect(result.stderr).toMatch(/no permalink pattern for product "mystery"/)
-    expect(result.stderr).toMatch(/never carry url: null/)
-  })
-
-  it('refuses when the CHANGELOG has no entry yet for the target version, and touches no remote', () => {
-    seedRemote(remoteDir, 'open-brainy', [])
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'CHANGELOG.md'), buildChangelog([{ version: '10.4.11', date: '2026-09-02', bullets: ['fix: whatever'] }]))
-    const beforeSha = git(['rev-parse', 'main'], remoteDir)
-
-    const result = run(
-      ['--product', 'open-brainy', '--version', '99.0.0', '--date', '2026-09-02', '--from-changelog', 'CHANGELOG.md', '--remote', remoteDir, '--cache-dir', cacheDir],
-      dir,
-    )
-
-    expect(result.status).toBe(1)
-    expect(result.stderr).toMatch(/no CHANGELOG entry yet/i)
-    expect(git(['rev-parse', 'main'], remoteDir)).toBe(beforeSha)
-  })
-
-  it('refuses by naming the cure when the remote cannot be cloned', () => {
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'CHANGELOG.md'), buildChangelog([{ version: '10.4.12', date: '2026-09-03', bullets: ['fix: whatever'] }]))
-    const noSuchRemote = join(tmpdir(), 'wall-remote-does-not-exist-' + Date.now())
-
-    const result = run(
-      ['--product', 'open-brainy', '--version', '10.4.12', '--date', '2026-09-03', '--from-changelog', 'CHANGELOG.md', '--remote', noSuchRemote, '--cache-dir', cacheDir],
-      dir,
-    )
-
-    expect(result.status).toBe(1)
-    expect(result.stderr).toMatch(/cannot clone/i)
-    expect(result.stderr).toMatch(/cure:/i)
-  })
-
-  it('refuses by naming the cure, and touches no remote, when the fetched wall fails shape validation', () => {
-    const seedDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'wall-seed-broken-'))
-    execFileSync('git', ['clone', remoteDir, seedDir], { stdio: 'ignore' })
-    git(['config', 'user.email', 'seed@example.com'], seedDir)
-    git(['config', 'user.name', 'Seed'], seedDir)
-    writeFileSync(
-      join(seedDir, 'open-brainy.json'),
-      JSON.stringify({ product: 'open-brainy', entries: [{ version: '10.4.11', date: '2026-09-02', items: ['x'], url: null }] }, null, 2),
-    )
-    git(['add', 'open-brainy.json'], seedDir)
-    git(['commit', '-m', 'seed broken'], seedDir)
-    git(['push', 'origin', 'main'], seedDir)
-    rmSync(seedDir, { recursive: true, force: true })
-    const beforeSha = git(['rev-parse', 'main'], remoteDir)
-
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'CHANGELOG.md'), buildChangelog([{ version: '10.4.12', date: '2026-09-03', bullets: ['fix: whatever'] }]))
-
-    const result = run(
-      ['--product', 'open-brainy', '--version', '10.4.12', '--date', '2026-09-03', '--from-changelog', 'CHANGELOG.md', '--remote', remoteDir, '--cache-dir', cacheDir],
-      dir,
-    )
-
-    expect(result.status).toBe(1)
-    expect(result.stderr).toMatch(/fails shape validation/i)
-    expect(result.stderr).toMatch(/missing key\(s\) headline/i)
-    expect(git(['rev-parse', 'main'], remoteDir)).toBe(beforeSha)
-  })
-
-  it('refuses by naming the cure when the remote rejects the push (stands in for a raced non-fast-forward)', () => {
-    seedRemote(remoteDir, 'open-brainy', [BASE_ENTRY])
-    makeRemoteRejectPushes(remoteDir)
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'CHANGELOG.md'), buildChangelog([{ version: '10.4.12', date: '2026-09-03', bullets: ['fix: whatever'] }]))
-
-    const result = run(
-      ['--product', 'open-brainy', '--version', '10.4.12', '--date', '2026-09-03', '--from-changelog', 'CHANGELOG.md', '--remote', remoteDir, '--cache-dir', cacheDir],
-      dir,
-    )
-
-    expect(result.status).toBe(1)
-    expect(result.stderr).toMatch(/push to .* failed/i)
-    expect(result.stderr).toMatch(/cure:/i)
-  })
-
-  it('refuses a cross-product write when the file\'s "product" field does not match --product', () => {
-    seedRemote(remoteDir, 'open-brainy', [BASE_ENTRY])
-    const seedDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'wall-seed-mismatch-'))
-    execFileSync('git', ['clone', remoteDir, seedDir], { stdio: 'ignore' })
-    git(['config', 'user.email', 'seed@example.com'], seedDir)
-    git(['config', 'user.name', 'Seed'], seedDir)
-    const corrupted = JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(seedDir, 'open-brainy.json'), 'utf8'))
-    corrupted.product = 'brainy'
-    writeFileSync(join(seedDir, 'open-brainy.json'), JSON.stringify(corrupted, null, 2) + '\n')
-    git(['add', 'open-brainy.json'], seedDir)
-    git(['commit', '-m', 'corrupt product field'], seedDir)
-    git(['push', 'origin', 'main'], seedDir)
-    rmSync(seedDir, { recursive: true, force: true })
-
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'CHANGELOG.md'), buildChangelog([{ version: '1.0.0', date: '2026-09-03', bullets: ['fix: wrong repo'] }]))
-
-    const result = run(
-      ['--product', 'open-brainy', '--version', '1.0.0', '--date', '2026-09-03', '--from-changelog', 'CHANGELOG.md', '--remote', remoteDir, '--cache-dir', cacheDir],
-      dir,
-    )
-
-    expect(result.status).toBe(1)
-    expect(result.stderr).toMatch(/product "brainy".*--product "open-brainy"/i)
-  })
-})
-
-describe('wall-entry.mjs — --dry-run', () => {
-  it('prints the entry and the target path, and touches neither the cache dir nor the remote', () => {
-    seedRemote(remoteDir, 'open-brainy', [BASE_ENTRY])
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'CHANGELOG.md'), buildChangelog([{ version: '10.4.12', date: '2026-09-03', bullets: ['fix: a dry run'] }]))
-    const beforeSha = git(['rev-parse', 'main'], remoteDir)
-
-    const result = run(
-      ['--dry-run', '--product', 'open-brainy', '--version', '10.4.12', '--date', '2026-09-03', '--from-changelog', 'CHANGELOG.md', '--remote', remoteDir, '--cache-dir', cacheDir],
-      dir,
-    )
-
-    expect(result.status).toBe(0)
-    expect(result.stdout).toMatch(/would write to/i)
-    expect(result.stdout).toMatch(/"version": "10\.4\.12"/)
-    expect(git(['rev-parse', 'main'], remoteDir)).toBe(beforeSha)
-  })
-})
-
-describe('wall-entry.mjs — --check', () => {
-  it('passes a well-formed, newest-first file with no duplicates', () => {
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'wall.json'), wallFile('open-brainy', [BASE_ENTRY, { ...BASE_ENTRY, version: '10.4.10' }]))
-    const result = run(['--check', '--file', 'wall.json'], dir)
-    expect(result.status).toBe(0)
-    expect(result.stdout).toMatch(/OK/)
-  })
-
-  it('passes a file where "thumb" is entirely absent (optional per the HQ contract)', () => {
-    const { thumb, ...noThumb } = BASE_ENTRY as any
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'wall.json'), wallFile('open-brainy', [noThumb]))
-    const result = run(['--check', '--file', 'wall.json'], dir)
-    expect(result.status).toBe(0)
-  })
-
-  it('catches a missing entry key', () => {
-    const broken = { version: '1.0.0', date: '2026-09-03', headline: 'h', items: ['i'] } // no "url"
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'wall.json'), wallFile('open-brainy', [broken]))
-    const result = run(['--check', '--file', 'wall.json'], dir)
-    expect(result.status).toBe(1)
-    expect(result.stderr).toMatch(/missing key\(s\) url/)
-  })
-
-  it('catches an unexpected top-level key (e.g. the retired "history" field)', () => {
-    const raw = JSON.parse(wallFile('open-brainy', [BASE_ENTRY]))
-    raw.history = 'retired field'
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'wall.json'), JSON.stringify(raw))
-    const result = run(['--check', '--file', 'wall.json'], dir)
-    expect(result.status).toBe(1)
-    expect(result.stderr).toMatch(/unexpected key\(s\) history/)
-  })
-
-  it('catches entries that are not newest-first', () => {
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'wall.json'), wallFile('open-brainy', [{ ...BASE_ENTRY, version: '10.4.10' }, BASE_ENTRY]))
-    const result = run(['--check', '--file', 'wall.json'], dir)
-    expect(result.status).toBe(1)
-    expect(result.stderr).toMatch(/not newest-first/)
-  })
-
-  it('catches a duplicate version even with identical entries', () => {
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'wall.json'), wallFile('open-brainy', [BASE_ENTRY, { ...BASE_ENTRY }]))
-    const result = run(['--check', '--file', 'wall.json'], dir)
-    expect(result.status).toBe(1)
-    expect(result.stderr).toMatch(/duplicate version 10\.4\.11/)
-  })
-
-  it('catches an empty items array', () => {
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'wall.json'), wallFile('open-brainy', [{ ...BASE_ENTRY, items: [] }]))
-    const result = run(['--check', '--file', 'wall.json'], dir)
-    expect(result.status).toBe(1)
-    expect(result.stderr).toMatch(/"items" must be a non-empty array/)
-  })
-
-  it('catches a malformed date', () => {
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'wall.json'), wallFile('open-brainy', [{ ...BASE_ENTRY, date: '09/03/2026' }]))
-    const result = run(['--check', '--file', 'wall.json'], dir)
-    expect(result.status).toBe(1)
-    expect(result.stderr).toMatch(/"date" must be a YYYY-MM-DD string/)
-  })
-})