Stage E: Category B strip -- remove Hermes, messaging.4th, old routing (FABRIC-3.6.md task 4.1-4.4)

All FORTH-owned message types were cut over to kernel-Hermes in Phase 3 (tasks 3.8-3.10). This removes the now-dead FORTH messaging layer and the Hermes VM itself: capsules/common/messaging.4th, capsules/hermes/init.4th, the slot-3 VM-NAME-REG pairing convention, and every load-site/birth-site reference across capsules/init.4th, artemis/init.4th, hestia/init.4th, doe-campaign.4th (Artemis-only now), capsule_console.c, capsule_mint.c, capsule_wirebind.c, capsule_birth.c, and kernel_main.c. Verified on all three architectures: clean boot, mkcapsule --lint clean (36 files, 0 violations), zero UNKNOWN WORD, identical dict_hash across amd64/aarch64/riscv64 for every VM, and a full mint -> WIREBIND-attach -> USE -> relay round-trip exercising the two highest-risk edits (capsule_console.c/capsule_mint.c). Found, not fixed: deleting messaging.4th removes SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST, which was the only caller of KH-ELEVATE-SEND and the only path to ELEVATE-GRANT (zuse-eligibility.4th, still loaded at boot) -- Phase 8 PKI's own elevation entrypoint. Needs a decision before Phase 5 close-out. Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-09-22 18:29:51 -04:00
parent cab9b5a31f
commit 3e201c82a5
23 changed files with 27825 additions and 886 deletions
@@ -1265,15 +1265,80 @@ ruling]** cannot be written precisely until Captain Bob settles the named sub-it
      through every one of tasks 3.8/3.9/3.10's acceptance logs, cited in their own entries above.
      **Phase 4 may begin.**

-## Phase 4 — Category B strip
+## Phase 4 — Category B strip — **COMPLETE 2026-09-22**

 Only after every live type is cut over. **Hermes leaves `is_fleet_foundation` and
-`kernel_main.c` here, not earlier** (§XXXIV.4).
+`kernel_main.c` here, not earlier** (§XXXIV.4). Per FABRIC-3.5.md §XXXIV.3, Stage E is one
+atomic change set — 4.1–4.4 are checked off together, not independently bootable
+intermediate states.

- [ ] **4.1** — Strip `capsules/hermes/init.4th`.
- [ ] **4.2** — Strip the FORTH routing table and slot-3 pairing convention.
- [ ] **4.3** — Strip `capsules/common/messaging.4th`.
- [ ] **4.4** — Remove Hermes from `is_fleet_foundation` and its birth from `kernel_main.c`.
+- [x] **4.1** — Strip `capsules/hermes/init.4th`. Deleted. `is_fleet_foundation` no longer
+      needs it — nothing else referenced this file.
+- [x] **4.2** — Strip the FORTH routing table and slot-3 pairing convention.
+      `capsule_wirebind.c`'s slot-3 `VM-NAME-REG` registration call removed (already dead
+      since task 3.9's cutover moved name resolution to `sk_console_user_prefix()`).
+- [x] **4.3** — Strip `capsules/common/messaging.4th`. Deleted. Two C-side dependents found
+      by full-repo grep (not just `capsules/`) and fixed as part of this same commit:
+      `capsule_console.c`'s `CONSOLE_IDENTITY_SRC` (dropped its `S" common:messaging.4th"
+      EXEC` / `MSG-CD-INIT` lines, kept `Block 4997`) and `capsule_mint.c`'s
+      `MINT_DEFAULT_PERSONALITY` (same two lines dropped, kept `WELCOME`). Every capsule that
+      loaded the file (`capsules/init.4th` block 2049, `capsules/artemis/init.4th` block 4854,
+      `capsules/hestia/init.4th` block 4987) had its load line + `MSG-CD-INIT` +
+      `MY-CH-ID`/`CH-ADD-MBR` setup removed; Artemis and Hestia kept their own
+      `STARTUP-BANNER`/`WELCOME` tails. `capsules/doe-campaign.4th` (`SETUP-HERMES`/
+      `SETUP-VMS`/`PHASE1-DOE`/`CD-TICK`/`SMOKE-CAMPAIGN`, blocks 4060–4064) reduced to
+      Artemis-only per explicit instruction (fold `SETUP-HERMES` strip into this same commit).
+      `capsules/zuse-eligibility.4th`'s header comment updated to point at the kernel-Hermes
+      drain checkpoint instead of the removed `MSG-DELIVER` path.
+- [x] **4.4** — Remove Hermes from `is_fleet_foundation` and its birth from `kernel_main.c`.
+      `capsule_birth.c`'s `is_fleet_foundation` OR-chain drops the `"Hermes"` prefix check.
+      `kernel_main.c`: Hermes's own birth block removed, the Artemis-birth comment referencing
+      it fixed, `sk_vm_switch_signal_register(hermes_entry.vm_id)` + its guard removed, and the
+      "Kernel-Hermes common-channel fleet self-test" fixed to drop its unconditional
+      Hermes-liveness requirement (was about to false-FAIL post-strip). The drain and
+      channel-open-policy self-tests already had graceful `SKIPPED (Hermes not live)` /
+      `SKIPPED (Hera/Hermes not available)` fallbacks and needed no change — confirmed live
+      below, not just by inspection.
+
+      2026-09-22 · **Closed.** `mkcapsule --lint capsules/` clean: 36 files (was 38 — the two
+      Category B deletions), 0 violations. Full three-architecture acceptance, each run the
+      same sequence: clean boot → self-test block → hot-attach bob's blank identity thumbdrive
+      via QMP → `MINT` → detach/reattach to trigger `WIREBIND` → `USE rajames` → `1 2 + .`
+      relay round-trip.
+      - amd64: `logs/20260922-181141/amd64/qemu-amd64-20260922-181141.log`
+      - aarch64: `logs/20260922-181753/aarch64/qemu-aarch64-20260922-181753.log`
+      - riscv64: `logs/20260922-182136/riscv64/qemu-riscv64-20260922-182136.log`
+
+      Zero `UNKNOWN WORD` on all three. `PARITY:` lines carry only Hera/Hestia/Artemis — Hermes
+      genuinely absent, not just silent. **`dict_hash` identical across all three
+      architectures for every VM**: `0x0a0ad2497d33c3c0` (Hera, `MAMA_INIT`), `0xb1256603
+      f848e2b9` (Hestia), `0xc791409ac1715690` (Artemis) — matching §XXXIV.6's rule (a
+      *changing* hash is expected; cross-architecture *divergence* is the stop condition; none
+      occurred). Self-tests on all three: "Kernel-Hermes common-channel fleet self-test: PASS"
+      (confirming the 4.4 fix), "Kernel-Hermes drain self-test: SKIPPED (Hermes not live)" and
+      "Kernel-Hermes channel-open policy self-test: SKIPPED (Hera/Hermes not available)" both
+      graceful as predicted, every other self-test PASS. `mint → attach → USE → relay` verified
+      live and byte-identical across all three architectures: prompt correctly shows
+      `[rajames@rajames]` (task-3.9-era prompt fix holding), single `ok`/`ok>` cycle (CRLF fix
+      holding), `1 2 + .` → `3` delivered via `Kernel-Hermes CONSOLE-CMD-EVENT (real, Stage D)`
+      with `stadium_conserved(self)=true` on every run.
+
+      **Found, not fixed (Captain Bob's Law): `capsules/zuse-eligibility.4th`'s only policy
+      word, `ELEVATE-GRANT`, is now unreachable — and this file is still loaded at boot
+      (`capsules/init.4th:18`, `S" zuse-eligibility.4th" EXEC`), not dead/orphaned code.** Task
+      3.10 made `SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST` (which called `KH-ELEVATE-SEND`, `repl.c`) live in
+      `messaging.4th`; this task deletes that entire file. `grep -rn "SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST"
+      capsules/ src/ include/` after the strip: zero hits outside comments — the word no longer
+      exists anywhere, so nothing can reach `KH-ELEVATE-SEND` or `ELEVATE-GRANT` any more. This
+      is not stray dead code left over from a cutover; it is **Phase 8 PKI's own named-open-item
+      elevation entrypoint** (see this document's own ACL section / `docs/03-architecture/
+      word-acl/DESIGN.md` Phase 8) deleted as collateral of the Category B strip. A live capsule
+      is now shipping with a policy word nothing can call. Left as-is per this task's own scope
+      — **this needs a decision from Captain Bob before Phase 5 close-out, not just a cleanup
+      note**: either give `SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST` a new home now (e.g. inline in
+      `zuse-eligibility.4th` itself, which already depends on nothing from the deleted file), or
+      explicitly accept that Phase 8 PKI work will need to build its own entrypoint from
+      scratch rather than resuming this one.

 ## Phase 5 — Close-out

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Capsule Block Manifest — Auto-generated
-<!-- Generated by mkcapsule --manifest  2026-09-22T15:02:28Z -->
+<!-- Generated by mkcapsule --manifest  2026-09-22T22:29:26Z -->
 <!-- DO NOT EDIT — re-run mkcapsule --manifest to refresh.  -->
 <!-- Hand-written justifications and immutability notes live  -->
 <!-- in MANIFEST.md alongside this auto-generated index.      -->
@@ -10,22 +10,20 @@
 |---------|----------------|----------|--------|
 | `ACL.4th` | 4000, 4001, 4002, 4003, 4004, 4005, 4006, 4007, 4008, 4015 | `0xf8890c05c0d8f921` | yes |
 | `acl-std79.4th` | 4023, 4024, 4025, 4026, 4027, 4028, 4029, 4030, 4031, 4032, 4033, 4034, 4035, 4036, 4037, 4038, 4039, 4040, 4041, 4042, 4043, 4044, 4045, 4046, 4047, 4048 | `0x773bf9209df191d1` | yes |
-| `artemis:init.4th` | 4110, 4111, 4112, 4113, 4122, 4123, 4124, 4125, 4126, 4127, 4128, 4129, 4130, 4131, 4132, 4133, 4134, 4135, 4136, 4137, 4138, 4139, 4140, 4141, 4160, 4161, 4162, 4163, 4164, 4165, 4166, 4167, 4168, 4169, 4170, 4171, 4172, 4173, 4174, 4177, 4178, 4179, 4180, 4181, 4182, 4851, 4852, 4853, 4854, 4856, 4857, 4858, 4860 | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | yes |
+| `artemis:init.4th` | 4110, 4111, 4112, 4113, 4122, 4123, 4124, 4125, 4126, 4127, 4128, 4129, 4130, 4131, 4132, 4133, 4134, 4135, 4136, 4137, 4138, 4139, 4140, 4141, 4160, 4161, 4162, 4163, 4164, 4165, 4166, 4167, 4168, 4169, 4170, 4171, 4172, 4173, 4174, 4177, 4178, 4179, 4180, 4181, 4182, 4851, 4852, 4853, 4854, 4856, 4857, 4858, 4860 | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | yes |
 | `block-acl.4th` | 4019, 4020 | `0xf6cc2a59e3a6734e` | yes |
-| `common:messaging.4th` | 5003, 5004, 5005, 5006, 5007, 5008, 5009, 5010, 5011, 5012, 5013, 5014, 5015, 5016, 5017, 5018, 5019, 5020, 5021, 5022, 5023, 5024, 5025, 5026, 5027, 5028, 5029, 5031, 5032, 5033, 5034, 5035, 5036, 5037, 5038, 5039, 5040, 5041, 5042 | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | yes |
-| `doe-campaign.4th` | 4060, 4061, 4062, 4063, 4064, 4065 | `0x3d4549142d91ec20` | yes |
+| `doe-campaign.4th` | 4060, 4061, 4062, 4063, 4064, 4065 | `0x26fb485e5c9dc6ff` | yes |
 | `doe.4th` | 2100, 2101, 2102, 2103, 2104, 2105, 2106, 2107 | `0xf154616d248e861f` | yes |
 | `fabric.4th` | 4900, 4901, 4902, 4903, 4904, 4905, 4906, 4907, 4908, 4909, 4910, 4911, 4912, 4913, 4914, 4915, 4916, 4917, 4918, 4919, 4920, 4921, 4922, 4923, 4924, 5000, 5001, 5002 | `0x9d9489cbeca4099b` | yes |
 | `font.4th` | 4925, 4926, 4927, 4928, 4929, 4930, 4931, 4932, 4933, 4934, 4935, 4936, 4937, 4938, 4939, 4940, 4941, 4942, 4943, 4944, 4945, 4946, 4947, 4948, 4949, 4950, 4951, 4952, 4953, 4954, 4955, 4956, 4957, 4958, 4959, 4960, 4961, 4962, 4963, 4964, 4965, 4966, 4967, 4968, 4969, 4970, 4971, 4972, 4973, 4974, 4975, 4976, 4977, 4978, 4979, 4980, 4981, 4982, 4983, 4984, 4985 | `0x3f305911500c78f6` | yes |
-| `hermes:init.4th` | 4153, 4855, 5116 | `0x2df61924448a6812` | yes |
-| `hestia:init.4th` | 4986, 4987, 4988 | `0x6aa0a1b5daf9d2ec` | yes |
+| `hestia:init.4th` | 4986, 4987, 4988 | `0x64e111990fbc45ff` | yes |
 | `init-l8-diverse.4th` | 4820, 4821, 4822 | `0xaa293201a6c91838` | yes |
 | `init-l8-omni.4th` | 2064, 2065, 2066, 2067, 2068, 2069, 2070, 2071, 2072, 2073, 2074, 2075, 2076, 2077, 2078, 2079 | `0x5979e314d6452045` | yes |
 | `init-l8-stable.4th` | 4806 | `0xdc3830f189063a9a` | yes |
 | `init-l8-temporal.4th` | 4830, 4831 | `0x51abd4c138246651` | yes |
 | `init-l8-transition.4th` | 4840, 4841, 4842 | `0xbcc1a81976f0a4c9` | yes |
 | `init-l8-volatile.4th` | 4810, 4811, 4812, 4813 | `0x98caabbbd92abac4` | yes |
-| `init.4th` | 2049, 2050, 2057 | `0x97e74b7abd3d3366` | yes |
+| `init.4th` | 2049, 2050, 2057 | `0xea038ba684c53443` | yes |
 | `lib.4th` | 4050 | `0x4b216635c359ef73` | yes |
 | `multiuser-doe.4th` | 5044, 5045, 5046, 5047, 5048, 5049, 5050, 5051, 5052, 5053, 5054, 5055 | `0x22140588ee7c39e6` | yes |
 | `sdk.4th` | 5109, 5110, 5111, 5112, 5113, 5114, 5115 | `0x008fdbbb62c94a3a` | yes |
@@ -44,16 +42,16 @@
 | `workload-8.4th` | 2160 | `0x56b7f2f0efa000df` | yes |
 | `workload-9.4th` | 4706, 4715, 4725, 4735, 4745 | `0x3f2bec73142aa424` | yes |
 | `workload-calib1.4th` | 5043 | `0x3b9f2d17b554fabc` | yes |
-| `zuse-eligibility.4th` | 4021, 4022 | `0x8b49c1bc1e01dc58` | yes |
+| `zuse-eligibility.4th` | 4021, 4022 | `0x7b28f4776a32e0b7` | yes |
 | `zuse.4th` | 4016, 4017, 4018 | `0x490ded9be257a90b` | yes |

 ## Block Map (sorted by LBN)

 | LBN | Capsule | xxHash64 | Status |
 |-----|---------|----------|--------|
-| 2049 | `init.4th` | `0x97e74b7abd3d3366` | ok |
-| 2050 | `init.4th` | `0x97e74b7abd3d3366` | ok |
-| 2057 | `init.4th` | `0x97e74b7abd3d3366` | ok |
+| 2049 | `init.4th` | `0xea038ba684c53443` | ok |
+| 2050 | `init.4th` | `0xea038ba684c53443` | ok |
+| 2057 | `init.4th` | `0xea038ba684c53443` | ok |
 | 2064 | `init-l8-omni.4th` | `0x5979e314d6452045` | ok |
 | 2065 | `init-l8-omni.4th` | `0x5979e314d6452045` | ok |
 | 2066 | `init-l8-omni.4th` | `0x5979e314d6452045` | ok |
@@ -116,8 +114,8 @@
 | 4018 | `zuse.4th` | `0x490ded9be257a90b` | ok |
 | 4019 | `block-acl.4th` | `0xf6cc2a59e3a6734e` | ok |
 | 4020 | `block-acl.4th` | `0xf6cc2a59e3a6734e` | ok |
-| 4021 | `zuse-eligibility.4th` | `0x8b49c1bc1e01dc58` | ok |
-| 4022 | `zuse-eligibility.4th` | `0x8b49c1bc1e01dc58` | ok |
+| 4021 | `zuse-eligibility.4th` | `0x7b28f4776a32e0b7` | ok |
+| 4022 | `zuse-eligibility.4th` | `0x7b28f4776a32e0b7` | ok |
 | 4023 | `acl-std79.4th` | `0x773bf9209df191d1` | ok |
 | 4024 | `acl-std79.4th` | `0x773bf9209df191d1` | ok |
 | 4025 | `acl-std79.4th` | `0x773bf9209df191d1` | ok |
@@ -145,58 +143,57 @@
 | 4047 | `acl-std79.4th` | `0x773bf9209df191d1` | ok |
 | 4048 | `acl-std79.4th` | `0x773bf9209df191d1` | ok |
 | 4050 | `lib.4th` | `0x4b216635c359ef73` | ok |
-| 4060 | `doe-campaign.4th` | `0x3d4549142d91ec20` | ok |
-| 4061 | `doe-campaign.4th` | `0x3d4549142d91ec20` | ok |
-| 4062 | `doe-campaign.4th` | `0x3d4549142d91ec20` | ok |
-| 4063 | `doe-campaign.4th` | `0x3d4549142d91ec20` | ok |
-| 4064 | `doe-campaign.4th` | `0x3d4549142d91ec20` | ok |
-| 4065 | `doe-campaign.4th` | `0x3d4549142d91ec20` | ok |
-| 4110 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4111 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4112 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4113 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4122 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4123 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4124 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4125 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4126 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4127 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4128 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4129 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4130 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4131 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4132 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4133 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4134 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4135 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4136 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4137 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4138 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4139 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4140 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4141 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4153 | `hermes:init.4th` | `0x2df61924448a6812` | ok |
-| 4160 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4161 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4162 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4163 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4164 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4165 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4166 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4167 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4168 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4169 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4170 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4171 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4172 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4173 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4174 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4177 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4178 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4179 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4180 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4181 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4182 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
+| 4060 | `doe-campaign.4th` | `0x26fb485e5c9dc6ff` | ok |
+| 4061 | `doe-campaign.4th` | `0x26fb485e5c9dc6ff` | ok |
+| 4062 | `doe-campaign.4th` | `0x26fb485e5c9dc6ff` | ok |
+| 4063 | `doe-campaign.4th` | `0x26fb485e5c9dc6ff` | ok |
+| 4064 | `doe-campaign.4th` | `0x26fb485e5c9dc6ff` | ok |
+| 4065 | `doe-campaign.4th` | `0x26fb485e5c9dc6ff` | ok |
+| 4110 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4111 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4112 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4113 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4122 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4123 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4124 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4125 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4126 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4127 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4128 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4129 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4130 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4131 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4132 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4133 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4134 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4135 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4136 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4137 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4138 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4139 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4140 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4141 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4160 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4161 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4162 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4163 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4164 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4165 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4166 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4167 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4168 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4169 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4170 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4171 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4172 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4173 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4174 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4177 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4178 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4179 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4180 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4181 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4182 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
 | 4200 | `user-font-demo.4th` | `0xce1fd7d1b581a56d` | ok |
 | 4201 | `user-font-demo.4th` | `0xce1fd7d1b581a56d` | ok |
 | 4202 | `user-font-demo.4th` | `0xce1fd7d1b581a56d` | ok |
@@ -234,15 +231,14 @@
 | 4840 | `init-l8-transition.4th` | `0xbcc1a81976f0a4c9` | ok |
 | 4841 | `init-l8-transition.4th` | `0xbcc1a81976f0a4c9` | ok |
 | 4842 | `init-l8-transition.4th` | `0xbcc1a81976f0a4c9` | ok |
-| 4851 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4852 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4853 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4854 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4855 | `hermes:init.4th` | `0x2df61924448a6812` | ok |
-| 4856 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4857 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4858 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
-| 4860 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0x419d50262e5ecfbe` | ok |
+| 4851 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4852 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4853 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4854 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4856 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4857 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4858 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
+| 4860 | `artemis:init.4th` | `0xe6fba9ae56e1c916` | ok |
 | 4900 | `fabric.4th` | `0x9d9489cbeca4099b` | ok |
 | 4901 | `fabric.4th` | `0x9d9489cbeca4099b` | ok |
 | 4902 | `fabric.4th` | `0x9d9489cbeca4099b` | ok |
@@ -329,51 +325,12 @@
 | 4983 | `font.4th` | `0x3f305911500c78f6` | ok |
 | 4984 | `font.4th` | `0x3f305911500c78f6` | ok |
 | 4985 | `font.4th` | `0x3f305911500c78f6` | ok |
-| 4986 | `hestia:init.4th` | `0x6aa0a1b5daf9d2ec` | ok |
-| 4987 | `hestia:init.4th` | `0x6aa0a1b5daf9d2ec` | ok |
-| 4988 | `hestia:init.4th` | `0x6aa0a1b5daf9d2ec` | ok |
+| 4986 | `hestia:init.4th` | `0x64e111990fbc45ff` | ok |
+| 4987 | `hestia:init.4th` | `0x64e111990fbc45ff` | ok |
+| 4988 | `hestia:init.4th` | `0x64e111990fbc45ff` | ok |
 | 5000 | `fabric.4th` | `0x9d9489cbeca4099b` | ok |
 | 5001 | `fabric.4th` | `0x9d9489cbeca4099b` | ok |
 | 5002 | `fabric.4th` | `0x9d9489cbeca4099b` | ok |
-| 5003 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5004 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5005 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5006 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5007 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5008 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5009 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5010 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5011 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5012 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5013 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5014 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5015 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5016 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5017 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5018 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5019 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5020 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5021 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5022 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5023 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5024 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5025 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5026 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5027 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5028 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5029 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5031 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5032 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5033 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5034 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5035 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5036 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5037 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5038 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5039 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5040 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5041 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
-| 5042 | `common:messaging.4th` | `0x863f77893ef8f353` | ok |
 | 5043 | `workload-calib1.4th` | `0x3b9f2d17b554fabc` | ok |
 | 5044 | `multiuser-doe.4th` | `0x22140588ee7c39e6` | ok |
 | 5045 | `multiuser-doe.4th` | `0x22140588ee7c39e6` | ok |
@@ -407,11 +364,10 @@
 | 5113 | `sdk.4th` | `0x008fdbbb62c94a3a` | ok |
 | 5114 | `sdk.4th` | `0x008fdbbb62c94a3a` | ok |
 | 5115 | `sdk.4th` | `0x008fdbbb62c94a3a` | ok |
-| 5116 | `hermes:init.4th` | `0x2df61924448a6812` | ok |

 ## Conflicts

 None.

 ---
-*38 capsule(s) scanned.  Re-run `mkcapsule --manifest <dir>` to refresh.*
+*36 capsule(s) scanned.  Re-run `mkcapsule --manifest <dir>` to refresh.*
@@ -492,13 +492,9 @@ Block 4853
 CD-INIT
 S" lib.4th" EXEC
 Block 4854
-( Phase C 2026-08-28: own messaging vocab + subscribe into )
-( Hermes's canonical COMMON-CH (idx 2 = Artemis, VM-NAMES- )
-( INIT). Hermes always exists by Artemis's birth. )
-S" common:messaging.4th" EXEC
-MSG-CD-INIT
-2 MY-CH-ID !
-S" 2 COMMON-CH @ CH-ADD-MBR" S" Hermes" VM-EXEC
+( FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4, Stage E: common:messaging.4th/ )
+( MSG-CD-INIT/MY-CH-ID/COMMON-CH subscription all removed )
+( -- Hermes, the channel, and the words are all gone. )
 STARTUP-BANNER

 Block 4856
@@ -1,490 +0,0 @@
-Block 5003
-( common:messaging.4th -- generic per-VM messaging vocab. )
-2 CONSTANT PAUSE-EVENT
-3 CONSTANT RESUME-EVENT
-4 CONSTANT KILL-EVENT
-0 CONSTANT CH-NEGOTIATING
-1 CONSTANT CH-OPEN
-2 CONSTANT CH-CLOSING
-9 CONSTANT MSG-CELLS
-6 CONSTANT CH-CELLS
-2 CONSTANT MBR-CELLS
-32 CONSTANT MSG-MAX
-16 CONSTANT CH-MAX
-64 CONSTANT MBR-MAX
-65208 CONSTANT Q-DECAY
-255 CONSTANT MSG-DELIVERED
-Block 5038
-( CONSOLE-CMD-EVENT: console-VM -> paired user-VM command )
-( relay message type, async MSG-SEND/MSG-DELIVER. )
-7 CONSTANT CONSOLE-CMD-EVENT
-( ELEVATE-REQUEST: H.5/H.8 -- word-ACL elevation ask. )
-( FABRIC-3.6.md task 3.10: kernel-Hermes cutover, no )
-( longer CH-REQUEST -- see KH-ELEVATE-SEND (repl.c). )
-8 CONSTANT ELEVATE-REQUEST
-Block 5041
-( BLK-ATTACH-EVENT: Hera -> Artemis storage-attach request, )
-( and Artemis -> Hera ack. Payload is FORTH text, executed  )
-( by the receiver, same as every other message here -- see  )
-( HERA-BLK-ATTACH-REQ (artemis:init.4th) and BLK-ATTACH-ACK  )
-( (repl.c). Messaging-migration decision, Bob, 2026-09-07:   )
-( Hera keeps polling/sig-checking; the storage-registration  )
-( step (blk_subsys_attach_device) moves to a real message    )
-( instead of a direct C call, so identity birth only         )
-( proceeds once Artemis confirms storage succeeded.          )
-9 CONSTANT BLK-ATTACH-EVENT
-Block 5004
-( StadiumBehaviour tags, match stadium.h's enum )
-0 CONSTANT SB-MIGRATE
-1 CONSTANT SB-DELIVER
-2 CONSTANT SB-EXPIRE
-3 CONSTANT SB-COOL
-1 CONSTANT STADIUM-NONE
-( per-item admission heat for MSG-SEND/CH-ACCEPT. )
-( Remaining reservoir after COMMON-CH's Q.1/3 floor, split )
-( evenly across MSG-MAX messages + non-COMMON CH-MAX-1 slots. )
-Q.1 Q.1 3 / - MSG-MAX CH-MAX 1- + / CONSTANT Q.SLOT
-Block 5005
-( arenas. heat/capacity via Stadium; MBR keeps its own )
-( free list (not part of heat economy). )
-CREATE MSG-ARENA MSG-MAX MSG-CELLS * CELLS ALLOT
-CREATE CH-ARENA  CH-MAX  CH-CELLS  * CELLS ALLOT
-CREATE MBR-ARENA MBR-MAX MBR-CELLS * CELLS ALLOT
-VARIABLE MSG-ALLOC-SLOT
-VARIABLE CH-ALLOC-SLOT
-VARIABLE MBR-FREE-HEAD
-VARIABLE MSG-SEQ
-VARIABLE CH-ACTIVE
-VARIABLE COMMON-CH
-VARIABLE MY-CH-ID
-Block 5006
-( VM routing table. SXIX: 16 slots, not 8 -- see FABRIC-3.md. )
-( Hera/Hermes/Artemis stay 0/1/2 (artemis:init.4th depends on )
-( it); identities get NEW slots 3-10, never renumbered. )
-16 CONSTANT VM-MAX
-CREATE VM-NAME-ADDRS VM-MAX CELLS ALLOT
-CREATE VM-NAME-LENS  VM-MAX CELLS ALLOT
-: VM-NAME-REG ( addr u idx -- )
-  DUP VM-MAX >= IF DROP 2DROP EXIT THEN
-  >R R@ CELLS VM-NAME-LENS  + !
-  R> CELLS VM-NAME-ADDRS + ! ;
-Block 5042
-( doe-idx (std79-doe.fth ID-NAME) -> msg-idx: 1..8 -> 3..10. )
-: DOE-IDX>MSG-IDX ( doe-idx -- msg-idx ) 2 + ;
-: VM-NAMES-INIT ( -- )
-  S" Hera"    0 VM-NAME-REG
-  S" Hermes"  1 VM-NAME-REG
-  S" Artemis" 2 VM-NAME-REG
-  S" rajames" 1 DOE-IDX>MSG-IDX VM-NAME-REG
-  S" 00"      2 DOE-IDX>MSG-IDX VM-NAME-REG
-  S" 01"      3 DOE-IDX>MSG-IDX VM-NAME-REG
-  S" 02"      4 DOE-IDX>MSG-IDX VM-NAME-REG
-  S" 03"      5 DOE-IDX>MSG-IDX VM-NAME-REG
-  S" 04"      6 DOE-IDX>MSG-IDX VM-NAME-REG
-  S" 05"      7 DOE-IDX>MSG-IDX VM-NAME-REG
-  S" 06"      8 DOE-IDX>MSG-IDX VM-NAME-REG ;
-Block 5007
-( INIT-FREE. stamps STADIUM-NONE into each slot's stadium- )
-( cell field (msg off 5, ch off 3). Raw offsets: accessors )
-( aren't defined yet in file order. )
-: MSG-INIT-FREE ( -- )
-  MSG-MAX 0 DO
-    STADIUM-NONE I MSG-CELLS * CELLS MSG-ARENA + 5 CELLS + !
-  LOOP ;
-: CH-INIT-FREE ( -- )
-  CH-MAX 0 DO
-    STADIUM-NONE I CH-CELLS * CELLS CH-ARENA + 3 CELLS + !
-  LOOP ;
-Block 5008
-( MBR-INIT-FREE (member free list, untouched) )
-: MBR-INIT-FREE ( -- )
-  MBR-MAX 1- 0 DO
-    I MBR-CELLS * CELLS MBR-ARENA +
-    I 1+ MBR-CELLS * CELLS MBR-ARENA + SWAP !
-  LOOP
-  0 MBR-MAX 1- MBR-CELLS * CELLS MBR-ARENA + !
-  MBR-ARENA MBR-FREE-HEAD ! ;
-Block 5009
-( MSG-ALLOC: finds a free slot (TYPE=0) first, admits into )
-( Stadium only once confirmed free (no leak). )
-: MSG-FIND-FREE-SLOT ( -- addr|0 )
-  MSG-ARENA MSG-MAX 0 DO
-    DUP @ 0= IF UNLOOP EXIT THEN
-    MSG-CELLS CELLS +
-  LOOP DROP 0 ;
-Block 5010
-( MSG-ALLOC: pulls heat from reservoir first, admits )
-( (identity=idx, heat=pulled), rolls back on refusal. )
-: MSG-ALLOC ( heat -- addr|0 )
-  MSG-FIND-FREE-SLOT DUP 0= IF SWAP DROP EXIT THEN
-  MSG-ALLOC-SLOT !
-  STADIUM-RES-PULL
-  MSG-ALLOC-SLOT @ MSG-ARENA - MSG-CELLS CELLS /
-  SWAP DUP >R
-  SB-DELIVER STADIUM-ADMIT
-  DUP STADIUM-NONE = IF
-    DROP R> STADIUM-RES-PUSH 0 EXIT
-  THEN
-  R> DROP
-  MSG-ALLOC-SLOT @ MSG-CELLS CELLS 0 FILL
-  MSG-ALLOC-SLOT @ 5 CELLS + !
-  MSG-ALLOC-SLOT @ ;
-Block 5011
-( MSG-FREE-NODE: evict from Stadium, clear field )
-: MSG-FREE-NODE ( addr -- )
-  DUP 5 CELLS + @ STADIUM-EVICT DROP
-  DUP 5 CELLS + STADIUM-NONE SWAP !
-  DROP ;
-Block 5012
-( MBR alloc/free (unchanged; not heat economy) )
-: MBR-ALLOC ( -- addr|0 )
-  MBR-FREE-HEAD @ DUP 0= IF EXIT THEN
-  DUP @ MBR-FREE-HEAD !
-  DUP MBR-CELLS CELLS 0 FILL ;
-: MBR-FREE-NODE ( addr -- )
-  MBR-FREE-HEAD @ OVER ! MBR-FREE-HEAD ! ;
-Block 5013
-( CH-FIND-FREE-SLOT. No TYPE field, so freeness is )
-( stadium-cell = STADIUM-NONE. CH-ALLOC -> block 4176. )
-: CH-FIND-FREE-SLOT ( -- addr|0 )
-  CH-ARENA CH-MAX 0 DO
-    DUP 3 CELLS + @ STADIUM-NONE = IF UNLOOP EXIT THEN
-    CH-CELLS CELLS +
-  LOOP DROP 0 ;
-Block 5014
-( CH-ALLOC: pulls heat from reservoir first, admits )
-( (identity=idx, heat=pulled), rolls back on refusal. )
-: CH-ALLOC ( heat -- addr|0 )
-  CH-FIND-FREE-SLOT DUP 0= IF SWAP DROP EXIT THEN
-  CH-ALLOC-SLOT !
-  STADIUM-RES-PULL
-  CH-ALLOC-SLOT @ CH-ARENA - CH-CELLS CELLS /
-  SWAP DUP >R
-  SB-COOL STADIUM-ADMIT
-  DUP STADIUM-NONE = IF
-    DROP R> STADIUM-RES-PUSH 0 EXIT
-  THEN
-  R> DROP
-  CH-ALLOC-SLOT @ CH-CELLS CELLS 0 FILL
-  CH-ALLOC-SLOT @ 3 CELLS + !
-  CH-ALLOC-SLOT @ ;
-Block 5015
-( CH-FREE-NODE: evict from Stadium, clear field )
-: CH-FREE-NODE ( addr -- )
-  DUP 3 CELLS + @ STADIUM-EVICT DROP
-  DUP 3 CELLS + STADIUM-NONE SWAP !
-  DROP ;
-Block 5016
-( message field accessors )
-: MSG-TYPE@  ( m -- n ) @ ;
-: MSG-TYPE!  ( n m -- ) ! ;
-: MSG-FROM@  ( m -- n ) 1 CELLS + @ ;
-: MSG-FROM!  ( n m -- ) 1 CELLS + ! ;
-: MSG-TO@    ( m -- n ) 2 CELLS + @ ;
-: MSG-TO!    ( n m -- ) 2 CELLS + ! ;
-: MSG-PADDR@ ( m -- a ) 3 CELLS + @ ;
-: MSG-PADDR! ( a m -- ) 3 CELLS + ! ;
-: MSG-PLEN@  ( m -- u ) 4 CELLS + @ ;
-: MSG-PLEN!  ( u m -- ) 4 CELLS + ! ;
-( offset 5 = Stadium cell idx. MSG-HEAT@/! -> 4154. )
-: MSG-STADIUM-CELL@ ( m -- cell ) 5 CELLS + @ ;
-: MSG-STADIUM-CELL! ( cell m -- ) 5 CELLS + ! ;
-: MSG-SEQ@   ( m -- n ) 6 CELLS + @ ;
-: MSG-SEQ!   ( n m -- ) 6 CELLS + ! ;
-Block 5017
-( message accessors: CH@/CH! )
-: MSG-CH@         ( m -- c ) 7 CELLS + @ ;
-: MSG-CH!         ( c m -- ) 7 CELLS + ! ;
-: MSG-ORIG-TYPE@  ( m -- n ) 8 CELLS + @ ;
-: MSG-ORIG-TYPE!  ( n m -- ) 8 CELLS + ! ;
-253 CONSTANT MSG-NACKED
-Block 5018
-( channel + member accessors )
-: CH-ID@    ( c -- n ) @ ;
-: CH-ID!    ( n c -- ) ! ;
-: CH-OWNER@ ( c -- n ) 1 CELLS + @ ;
-: CH-OWNER! ( n c -- ) 1 CELLS + ! ;
-: CH-STATE@ ( c -- n ) 2 CELLS + @ ;
-: CH-STATE! ( n c -- ) 2 CELLS + ! ;
-( offset 3 = Stadium cell index. CH-HEAT@/! -> 4154. )
-: CH-STADIUM-CELL@ ( c -- cell ) 3 CELLS + @ ;
-: CH-STADIUM-CELL! ( cell c -- ) 3 CELLS + ! ;
-: CH-MBRS@  ( c -- a ) 4 CELLS + @ ;
-: CH-MBRS!  ( a c -- ) 4 CELLS + ! ;
-: CH-NEXT@  ( c -- a ) 5 CELLS + @ ;
-: CH-NEXT!  ( a c -- ) 5 CELLS + ! ;
-: MBR-NEXT@ ( m -- a ) @ ;
-: MBR-VM@   ( m -- n ) 1 CELLS + @ ;
-Block 5019
-( composed MSG/CH-HEAT@/!, same names/stacks, bodies )
-( routed via Stadium. Callers need no changes. )
-: MSG-HEAT@ ( m -- q ) MSG-STADIUM-CELL@ STADIUM-HEAT@ ;
-: MSG-HEAT! ( q m -- ) MSG-STADIUM-CELL@ STADIUM-HEAT! ;
-: CH-HEAT@  ( c -- q ) CH-STADIUM-CELL@ STADIUM-HEAT@ ;
-: CH-HEAT!  ( q c -- ) CH-STADIUM-CELL@ STADIUM-HEAT! ;
-Block 5020
-( deliver )
-VARIABLE MSG-LAST-MSG
-VARIABLE MSG-SEND-TO-IDX
-: IDX>NAME ( idx -- addr u )
-  DUP VM-MAX >= IF DROP 0 0 EXIT THEN
-  DUP CELLS VM-NAME-ADDRS + @
-  SWAP CELLS VM-NAME-LENS  + @ ;
-: MSG-DELIVER ( m -- )
-  DUP MSG-LAST-MSG !
-  DUP MSG-PADDR@ OVER MSG-PLEN@
-  ROT MSG-TO@ IDX>NAME VM-EXEC ;
-Block 5021
-( MSG-SEND. heat -> MSG-ALLOC's admission directly )
-( (zero-heat would lose eviction-fallback density )
-( comparisons), not set afterward as before. )
-: MSG-SEND ( type from to paddr plen ch -- )
-  3 PICK MSG-SEND-TO-IDX !
-  Q.SLOT MSG-ALLOC DUP 0= IF 2DROP 2DROP 2DROP DROP EXIT THEN
-  >R
-  MSG-SEQ @ 1+ DUP MSG-SEQ ! R@ MSG-SEQ!
-  R@ MSG-CH!
-  R@ MSG-PLEN! R@ MSG-PADDR!
-  R@ MSG-TO!   R@ MSG-FROM! DUP R@ MSG-TYPE! R@ MSG-ORIG-TYPE!
-  R> DROP
-  MSG-SEND-TO-IDX @ IDX>NAME SWITCH-MARK-WORK ;
-Block 5022
-( MSG-COOL-ONE/ALL: linear decay per tick )
-VARIABLE MSG-SCAN
-: MSG-COOL-ONE ( m -- )
-  DUP MSG-HEAT@ Q-DECAY Q.* SWAP MSG-HEAT! ;
-: MSG-COOL-ALL ( -- )
-  MSG-ARENA MSG-SCAN !
-  MSG-MAX 0 DO
-    MSG-SCAN @ MSG-HEAT@ 0 > IF
-      MSG-SCAN @ MSG-COOL-ONE
-    THEN
-    MSG-SCAN @ MSG-CELLS CELLS + MSG-SCAN !
-  LOOP ;
-Block 5023
-( MSG-TOTAL-HEAT )
-: MSG-TOTAL-HEAT ( -- q48 )
-  0 MSG-ARENA MSG-SCAN !
-  MSG-MAX 0 DO
-    MSG-SCAN @ MSG-TYPE@ 0 <> IF
-      MSG-SCAN @ MSG-HEAT@ +
-    THEN
-    MSG-SCAN @ MSG-CELLS CELLS + MSG-SCAN !
-  LOOP ;
-: MSG-REDELIVER-NACKED ( -- )
-  MSG-ARENA MSG-SCAN !
-  MSG-MAX 0 DO
-    MSG-SCAN @ MSG-TYPE@ MSG-NACKED = IF
-      MSG-SCAN @ MSG-ORIG-TYPE@ MSG-SCAN @ MSG-TYPE! THEN
-    MSG-SCAN @ MSG-CELLS CELLS + MSG-SCAN !
-  LOOP ;
-Block 5024
-( MSG-DELIVER-ALL )
-: MSG-DELIVER-ALL ( -- )
-  MSG-ARENA MSG-SCAN !
-  MSG-MAX 0 DO
-    MSG-SCAN @ MSG-TYPE@ 0 <>
-    MSG-SCAN @ MSG-TYPE@ MSG-DELIVERED <> AND
-    MSG-SCAN @ MSG-TYPE@ MSG-NACKED <> AND IF
-      MSG-SCAN @ MSG-DELIVER
-      MSG-SCAN @ MSG-TYPE@ 0 <> IF
-        MSG-DELIVERED MSG-SCAN @ MSG-TYPE!
-      THEN
-    THEN
-    MSG-SCAN @ MSG-CELLS CELLS + MSG-SCAN !
-  LOOP ;
-Block 5025
-( message reaping )
-( K reap only fires at heat=0: freed K contribution is 0. )
-( Force-reap not yet implemented. If added: explicit )
-( K redistribution will be required here. )
-: MSG-REAP ( -- )
-  MSG-ARENA MSG-SCAN !
-  MSG-MAX 0 DO
-    MSG-SCAN @ MSG-HEAT@ 0 = IF
-      MSG-SCAN @ MSG-TYPE@ 0 <> IF
-        0 MSG-SCAN @ MSG-TYPE!
-        MSG-SCAN @ MSG-FREE-NODE
-      THEN
-    THEN
-    MSG-SCAN @ MSG-CELLS CELLS + MSG-SCAN !
-  LOOP ;
-Block 5026
-( channel cooling + heat aggregate )
-VARIABLE CH-SCAN
-: CH-COOL-ALL ( -- )
-  CH-ACTIVE @ CH-SCAN !
-  BEGIN CH-SCAN @ 0 <> WHILE
-    CH-SCAN @ CH-HEAT@ Q-DECAY Q.* CH-SCAN @ CH-HEAT!
-    CH-SCAN @ CH-NEXT@ CH-SCAN !
-  REPEAT ;
-: CH-TOTAL-HEAT ( -- q48 )
-  0 CH-ACTIVE @ CH-SCAN !
-  BEGIN CH-SCAN @ 0 <> WHILE
-    CH-SCAN @ CH-HEAT@ +
-    CH-SCAN @ CH-NEXT@ CH-SCAN !
-  REPEAT ;
-Block 5027
-( channel reaping )
-: CH-REAP-SAFE ( -- )
-  CH-ACTIVE @ CH-SCAN !
-  0 CH-ACTIVE !
-  BEGIN CH-SCAN @ 0 <> WHILE
-    CH-SCAN @ CH-NEXT@
-    CH-SCAN @ CH-HEAT@ 0 =
-    CH-SCAN @ COMMON-CH @ <> AND IF
-      CH-SCAN @ CH-FREE-NODE
-    ELSE
-      CH-ACTIVE @ CH-SCAN @ CH-NEXT!
-      CH-SCAN @ CH-ACTIVE !
-    THEN
-    CH-SCAN !
-  REPEAT ;
-Block 5028
-( COMMON + MSG-TICK (was HERMES-TICK -- generic now). )
-( floor=Q.1/3. COMMON-CH VARIABLE is in block 4101. )
-: COMMON-INIT ( -- )
-  Q.1 3 / CH-ALLOC DUP COMMON-CH !
-  0 OVER CH-ID!   0 OVER CH-OWNER!
-  CH-OPEN OVER CH-STATE!
-  0 OVER CH-MBRS!
-  CH-ACTIVE @ OVER CH-NEXT!
-  CH-ACTIVE ! ;
-( floor-refresh is reservoir-constrained, may no-op under )
-( pressure. )
-: MSG-TICK ( -- )
-  MSG-DELIVER-ALL MSG-REDELIVER-NACKED
-  MSG-COOL-ALL MSG-REAP
-  CH-COOL-ALL  CH-REAP-SAFE
-  Q.1 3 / COMMON-CH @ CH-HEAT! ;
-Block 5029
-( MSG-K (was HERMES-K -- generic now). WELCOME stays )
-( behind in each VM's own init.4th. )
-: MSG-K ( -- q48 )
-  MSG-TOTAL-HEAT CH-TOTAL-HEAT + STADIUM-RES@ +
-  STADIUM-WORD-HEAT + ;
-Block 5031
-( channel negotiation: mint/request )
-: CH-MINT-ID ( owner -- id )
-  MSG-SEQ @ 1+ DUP MSG-SEQ !
-  SWAP 32 LSHIFT OR ;
-( H.8: initiator-only gate. Refuses if `from` doesn't )
-( match MY-CH-ID -- no posting while claiming another VM. )
-: CH-REQUEST ( type from to paddr plen -- )
-  3 PICK MY-CH-ID @ <> IF 2DROP 2DROP DROP EXIT THEN
-  COMMON-CH @ CH-STATE@ CH-OPEN = IF
-    COMMON-CH @ MSG-SEND
-  ELSE 2DROP 2DROP DROP THEN ;
-Block 5032
-( channel ops: accept confirm close )
-: CH-ACCEPT ( -- ch|0 )
-  Q.SLOT CH-ALLOC DUP 0= IF EXIT THEN
-  1 CH-MINT-ID OVER CH-ID!
-  1 OVER CH-OWNER!
-  CH-NEGOTIATING OVER CH-STATE!
-  0 OVER CH-MBRS!
-  CH-ACTIVE @ OVER CH-NEXT!
-  DUP CH-ACTIVE ! ;
-: CH-CONFIRM ( ch -- )
-  DUP CH-STATE@ CH-NEGOTIATING = IF CH-OPEN SWAP CH-STATE!
-  ELSE DROP THEN ;
-: CH-CLOSE ( ch -- )
-  DUP COMMON-CH @ = IF DROP EXIT THEN
-  CH-CLOSING SWAP CH-STATE! ;
-Block 5033
-( MSG-CD-INIT (was CD-INIT -- renamed to avoid colliding )
-( with Artemis's own unrelated block-subsystem CD-INIT). )
-( common:msg.4th's HERMES-ACK/NACK indirection is retired: )
-( every VM now has its own local MSG-ACK-LAST/NACK-LAST. )
-: MSG-CD-INIT ( -- )
-  MSG-ARENA MSG-MAX MSG-CELLS * CELLS 0 FILL
-  CH-ARENA  CH-MAX  CH-CELLS  * CELLS 0 FILL
-  MBR-ARENA MBR-MAX MBR-CELLS * CELLS 0 FILL
-  MSG-INIT-FREE
-  CH-INIT-FREE
-  MBR-INIT-FREE
-  0 MSG-SEQ !
-  0 MSG-LAST-MSG !
-  0 CH-ACTIVE !  -1 MY-CH-ID !
-  COMMON-INIT
-  VM-NAMES-INIT ;
-Block 5034
-( ACK/NACK -- now purely local, no VM-EXEC indirection. )
-: MSG-ACK-LAST ( -- )
-  MSG-LAST-MSG @ DUP 0= IF DROP EXIT THEN
-  0 OVER MSG-TYPE! MSG-FREE-NODE ;
-: MSG-NACK-LAST ( -- )
-  MSG-LAST-MSG @ DUP 0= IF DROP EXIT THEN
-  DUP MSG-HEAT@ 2 / OVER MSG-HEAT!
-  MSG-NACKED SWAP MSG-TYPE! ;
-Block 5035
-( MSG-STATUS (was HERMES-STATUS -- generic now) )
-: MSG-USED ( -- n )
-  0 MSG-ARENA MSG-SCAN !
-  MSG-MAX 0 DO
-    MSG-SCAN @ MSG-TYPE@ 0 <> IF 1+ THEN
-    MSG-SCAN @ MSG-CELLS CELLS + MSG-SCAN !
-  LOOP ;
-: CH-USED ( -- n )
-  0 CH-ACTIVE @ CH-SCAN !
-  BEGIN CH-SCAN @ 0 <> WHILE
-    1+
-    CH-SCAN @ CH-NEXT@ CH-SCAN !
-  REPEAT ;
-: MSG-STATUS ( -- )
-  MSG-USED . ." msgs " CH-USED . ." channels" CR ;
-Block 5036
-( member management )
-: MBR-NEXT! ( a m -- ) ! ;
-: MBR-VM!   ( n m -- ) 1 CELLS + ! ;
-: CH-ADD-MBR ( vm ch -- )
-  MBR-ALLOC DUP 0= IF DROP 2DROP EXIT THEN
-  ROT OVER MBR-VM!
-  OVER CH-MBRS@ OVER MBR-NEXT!
-  SWAP CH-MBRS! ;
-Block 5037
-( Phase 2: real multi-member broadcast )
-VARIABLE BC-TYPE  VARIABLE BC-FROM
-VARIABLE BC-PADDR VARIABLE BC-PLEN
-VARIABLE BC-CH    VARIABLE BC-SCAN
-: MSG-BROADCAST ( type from paddr plen ch -- )
-  BC-CH ! BC-PLEN ! BC-PADDR ! BC-FROM ! BC-TYPE !
-  BC-CH @ CH-MBRS@ BC-SCAN !
-  BEGIN BC-SCAN @ 0<> WHILE
-    BC-TYPE @ BC-FROM @ BC-SCAN @ MBR-VM@
-    BC-PADDR @ BC-PLEN @ BC-CH @ MSG-SEND
-    BC-SCAN @ MBR-NEXT@ BC-SCAN !
-  REPEAT ;
-Block 5039
-( H.8: SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST payload builder -- )
-( scratch text buffer + append primitives. )
-CREATE ELEVATE-REQ-BUF 256 ALLOT
-VARIABLE ELEVATE-REQ-LEN
-: ELEVATE-REQ-RESET ( -- ) 0 ELEVATE-REQ-LEN ! ;
-: ELEVATE-REQ-PUTC ( c -- )
-  ELEVATE-REQ-BUF ELEVATE-REQ-LEN @ + C!
-  1 ELEVATE-REQ-LEN +! ;
-: ELEVATE-REQ-APPEND ( addr u -- )
-  >R
-  ELEVATE-REQ-BUF ELEVATE-REQ-LEN @ +
-  R@ CMOVE
-  ELEVATE-REQ-LEN @ R> + ELEVATE-REQ-LEN ! ;
-: ELEVATE-REQ-NUM ( n -- )
-  <# 0 SWAP #S #> ELEVATE-REQ-APPEND ;
-Block 5040
-( SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST: ask Zuse for word-ACL )
-( elevation. pk3..pk0 order so top-down emits )
-( pk0 first; waddr/wu = target word name text. )
-: SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST ( pk3 pk2 pk1 pk0 waddr wu -- )
-  ELEVATE-REQ-RESET
-  83 ELEVATE-REQ-PUTC 34 ELEVATE-REQ-PUTC
-  32 ELEVATE-REQ-PUTC
-  ELEVATE-REQ-APPEND
-  34 ELEVATE-REQ-PUTC 32 ELEVATE-REQ-PUTC
-  ELEVATE-REQ-NUM 32 ELEVATE-REQ-PUTC
-  ELEVATE-REQ-NUM 32 ELEVATE-REQ-PUTC
-  ELEVATE-REQ-NUM 32 ELEVATE-REQ-PUTC
-  ELEVATE-REQ-NUM 32 ELEVATE-REQ-PUTC
-  S" ELEVATE-GRANT" ELEVATE-REQ-APPEND
-  ELEVATE-REQ-BUF ELEVATE-REQ-LEN @
-  KH-ELEVATE-SEND DROP ;
@@ -1,20 +1,17 @@
 Block 4060
 ( doe-campaign.4th: Compudynamics DoE campaign orchestrator )
 ( Requires: doe.4th (word-level) + real VM fleet touches. )
-( Child VMs must define LOAD-DOE. )
-: SETUP-HERMES ( -- )
-  S" Hermes" BIRTH
-  S" LOAD-DOE" S" Hermes" VM-EXEC ;
+( Child VMs must define LOAD-DOE. FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4, )
+( Stage E: SETUP-HERMES removed -- Hermes no longer exists. )
 : SETUP-ARTEMIS ( -- )
  S" Artemis" BIRTH
  S" LOAD-DOE" S" Artemis" VM-EXEC ;
 : SETUP-VMS ( -- )
-  SETUP-HERMES SETUP-ARTEMIS ;
+  SETUP-ARTEMIS ;
 Block 4061
 ( Phase 1: each VM runs DOE-WORK once for baseline. )
+( FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4, Stage E: Hermes's own line removed. )
 : PHASE1-DOE ( -- )
-  ." Phase 1: Hermes" CR
-  S" DOE-WORK" S" Hermes" VM-EXEC
  ." Phase 1: Artemis" CR
  S" DOE-WORK" S" Artemis" VM-EXEC ;
 ( HISTORICAL: CD-WORK removed 2026-07-08 -- dead code, )
@@ -24,8 +21,9 @@ Block 4062
 ( CD-TICK: one real fleet touch pass -- not a fake pump. )
 ( Heat only moves via real VM-EXEC/VM-CALL/VM-STEP now; )
 ( there is nothing left to artificially bump per VM. )
+( FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4, Stage E: Hermes's own line )
+( removed -- one touch per tick now, not two. )
 : CD-TICK ( -- )
-  S" DOE-WORK" S" Hermes" VM-EXEC
  S" DOE-WORK" S" Artemis" VM-EXEC ;
 : CD-DOE ( n -- ) 0 DO CD-TICK LOOP ;
 : CAMPAIGN-STATUS ( -- )
@@ -47,11 +45,10 @@ Block 4064
 ( Smoke test: 1 rep seed 1959 + 16 real fleet touches )
 ( HISTORICAL: VM-HEAT! artificial seeding removed -- new )
 ( VMs start at zero heat by construction, no seed needed. )
+( FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4, Stage E: Hermes's own rep removed. )
 : SMOKE-CAMPAIGN ( -- )
  ." === Smoke: 1 rep seed 1959 ===" CR
  SETUP-VMS
-  ." Hermes 1 rep..." CR
-  S" 1959 1 EXEC-DOE" S" Hermes" VM-EXEC
  ." Artemis 1 rep..." CR
  S" 1959 1 EXEC-DOE" S" Artemis" VM-EXEC
  ." 16 real fleet touches..." CR
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-Block 4855
-( Hermes v1 -- WELCOME. Generic messaging vocab moved to )
-( common:messaging.4th, FABRIC-2.md Phase C 2026-08-28. )
-: WELCOME ( -- ) LOG-INFO" Hermes: loaded" ;
-WELCOME
-Block 4153
-( LOAD-DOE: pulls in doe.4th's word-level DOE-WORK )
-( workload, for doe-campaign.4th's remote VM-EXEC. )
-: LOAD-DOE ( -- ) S" doe.4th" EXEC ;
-Block 5116
-( Hermes owns the one real, canonical COMMON-CH. Every )
-( other VM subscribes into it via VM-EXEC (see Artemis's )
-( and Hera's own init.4th); Hera always exists first, so )
-( Hermes adds her here rather than Hera subscribing to a )
-( VM that doesn't exist yet at Hera's own birth. )
-S" common:messaging.4th" EXEC
-MSG-CD-INIT
-1 MY-CH-ID !
-S" lib.4th" EXEC
-1 COMMON-CH @ CH-ADD-MBR
-0 COMMON-CH @ CH-ADD-MBR
-LOG-INFO" Hermes: ready"
-STARTUP-BANNER
@@ -14,19 +14,9 @@ Block 4988
 S" fabric.4th" EXEC
 S" font.4th" EXEC
 Block 4987
-( Hestia joins COMMON-CH as a full messaging participant,  )
-( same pattern Hermes/Artemis already use. Fresh slot 11:  )
-( Hera/Hermes/Artemis hold 0/1/2, identities hold 3-10      )
-( (messaging.4th:78-85), and Phase 1's gate is "messaging   )
-( untouched" -- so VM-NAME-REG for "Hestia" is NOT added    )
-( here; that needs editing messaging.4th's VM-NAMES-INIT,   )
-( out of this task's scope. Hestia is CH-reachable by slot  )
-( today, not yet VM-EXEC-addressable by name. )
-S" common:messaging.4th" EXEC
-MSG-CD-INIT
-11 MY-CH-ID !
+( FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4, Stage E: common:messaging.4th/ )
+( MSG-CD-INIT/MY-CH-ID/COMMON-CH subscription all removed )
+( -- the whole COMMON-CH concept is gone with the file. )
 S" lib.4th" EXEC
-11 COMMON-CH @ CH-ADD-MBR
-0 COMMON-CH @ CH-ADD-MBR
 LOG-INFO" Hestia: ready"
 STARTUP-BANNER
@@ -17,9 +17,8 @@ S" ACL.4th" EXEC
 S" block-acl.4th" EXEC
 S" zuse-eligibility.4th" EXEC
 S" lib.4th" EXEC
-( SXX: same pattern Hermes/Artemis/console/mint already use. )
-S" common:messaging.4th" EXEC
-MSG-CD-INIT
+( FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4, Stage E: common:messaging.4th/ )
+( MSG-CD-INIT removed -- no longer exists, no longer needed. )
 Block 2050
 ( Hera boot — banner )
 BOOT-BANNER
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@ Block 4021
 ( C prims: ZUSE-ELIGIBILITY-ADD ZUSE-ELIGIBLE? )
 ( NAME>XT ELEVATE-PUBKEY-UNPACK )
 ( Policy word this file: ELEVATE-GRANT. Runs in )
-( Hera's own dict -- delivered here by messaging.4th's )
-( MSG-DELIVER via VM-EXEC when a session calls the )
-( common:messaging.4th SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST entrypoint. )
+( Hera's own dict -- delivered here by kernel-Hermes's own )
+( drain checkpoint (FABRIC-3.6.md task 3.10), not FORTH )
+( MSG-DELIVER (messaging.4th, removed Phase 4 Stage E). )
 ( FABRIC-2.md H.12 step 21, 2026-09-03. )
 CREATE ELEVATE-PK-BUF 32 ALLOT

@@ -735,16 +735,17 @@ int sk_hermes_reassemble(SkHermesMessage **chunks, int n_chunks,
 #define SK_HERMES_MSG_TYPE_CONSOLE_CMD 7

 /* SK_HERMES_MSG_TYPE_ELEVATE_REQUEST (FABRIC-3.6.md task 3.10, Stage D)
- * -- same reasoning again: reuses messaging.4th's own ELEVATE-REQUEST
- * value (8). Reachability was verified live before this cutover, not
- * assumed from a stale claim elsewhere in this project's own docs
- * (task 3.8's write-up said Hera "cannot load common:messaging.4th" --
- * false: SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST, ELEVATE-GRANT, and CH-REQUEST all FIND
- * live in Hera's own dictionary). No existing capsule calls
- * SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST -- it is a real, complete, directly-callable
- * entrypoint (H.5/H.8's own design: any VM wanting word-ACL elevation
- * calls it with its own pubkey and the target word name) with no
- * current automatic trigger, not dead/unreachable code. */
+ * -- reuses messaging.4th's own now-historical ELEVATE-REQUEST value (8).
+ * At task 3.10, SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST/ELEVATE-GRANT/CH-REQUEST all FIND
+ * live in Hera's own dictionary and SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST was a real,
+ * complete, directly-callable entrypoint (H.5/H.8's own design: any VM
+ * wanting word-ACL elevation calls it with its own pubkey and the target
+ * word name). FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4, Stage E deleted messaging.4th
+ * (SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST's only definition) -- KH-ELEVATE-SEND below has
+ * had no FORTH caller since, and ELEVATE-GRANT (zuse-eligibility.4th,
+ * still loaded at boot) is unreachable. Found, not fixed -- Phase 8 PKI
+ * decision needed before Phase 5 close-out, see FABRIC-3.6.md's own
+ * Phase 4 entry. */
 #define SK_HERMES_MSG_TYPE_ELEVATE_REQUEST 8

 /* The five negotiation types above (20-24) were chosen clear of
@@ -792,9 +792,14 @@ CapsuleRunResult capsule_birth_baby(
        StadiumPatronHeader vm_patron;
        uint8_t            *raw = (uint8_t *)&vm_patron;
        size_t               i;
+        /* FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4 (Stage E), 2026-09-22: "Hermes" retired
+         * from this OR-chain -- FABRIC-3.5.md SXXXIV.4's own ruling
+         * named this exact moment ("removed in Stage E, with the strip,
+         * not with the Tripod change"). The chain temporarily held four
+         * names (Hera, Hermes, Artemis, Hestia) through Phases 1-3,
+         * deliberately, per that same ruling; three names now. */
        int                  is_fleet_foundation =
            vm_name_prefix_eq_nocase(capsule_name, "Hera")   ||
-            vm_name_prefix_eq_nocase(capsule_name, "Hermes") ||
            vm_name_prefix_eq_nocase(capsule_name, "Artemis") ||
            vm_name_prefix_eq_nocase(capsule_name, "Hestia");

@@ -18,17 +18,21 @@
 #include "starkernel/kmalloc.h"
 #include <string.h>

-/* Real, minimal, working content -- just enough vocabulary to send/
- * receive messages (common:messaging.4th, same as every other VM).
- * No COMMON-CH subscription: a console's own traffic is direct 1:1
- * with its paired user VM (CONSOLE-CMD-EVENT), not broadcast, so
- * there's no need to resolve an index in Hermes's own routing table
- * for it. Needs the "Block NNNN" header capsule_exec_payload()
- * requires (§F.18) -- not optional. 4997 is an unused block number. */
+/* FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4 (Stage E), 2026-09-22: used to load
+ * common:messaging.4th + MSG-CD-INIT here -- "just enough vocabulary
+ * to send/receive messages" -- but a console-proxy VM's own traffic
+ * (CONSOLE-CMD-EVENT) has gone through kernel-Hermes directly
+ * (sk_hermes_send_one(), repl.c) since task 3.9, with no dependency on
+ * this VM's own dictionary containing any messaging vocabulary at all.
+ * common:messaging.4th no longer exists as of this strip, so this
+ * needed to come out regardless. Genuinely empty now, past the
+ * mandatory "Block NNNN" header capsule_exec_payload() requires
+ * (§F.18) -- confirmed live that an empty body is a safe no-op when
+ * interpreted (task 3.8's own finding: vm_interpret() on an empty
+ * string is a no-op, no error, no UNKNOWN WORD). 4997 is an unused
+ * block number. */
 static const char CONSOLE_IDENTITY_SRC[] =
-    "Block 4997\n"
-    "S\" common:messaging.4th\" EXEC\n"
-    "MSG-CD-INIT\n";
+    "Block 4997\n";

 CapsuleRunResult capsule_console_birth(const char *console_name, VMUuid parent,
                                        VMUuid *out_vm_id, void **out_vm_ctx)
@@ -53,17 +53,19 @@ extern int blkio_ram_init_state(void *state_mem, size_t state_len,
 * capsule_exec_payload() requires (§F.18) -- discovered live, not
 * optional. 4999 is an unused block number (see capsules/ block-map).
 *
- * Loads common:messaging.4th + MSG-CD-INIT exactly like capsule_console.c's
- * own CONSOLE_IDENTITY_SRC -- every live VM except Hera owns a MSG-TICK
- * word for her per-idle-tick pump to VM-EXEC into (repl.c's Phase C loop).
- * A minted identity's RUNCAP-born VM is not exempt from that pump, so
- * omitting this left it spamming "UNKNOWN WORD: 'MSG-TICK'" every idle
- * tick forever from the moment WIREBIND made the VM live -- found live
- * minting a real second identity (FABRIC-2.md §F.26 follow-up). */
+ * FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4 (Stage E), 2026-09-22: used to load
+ * common:messaging.4th + MSG-CD-INIT here too, for the same reason
+ * capsule_console.c's own CONSOLE_IDENTITY_SRC did -- the old MSG-TICK
+ * idle-pump gate (repl.c's Phase C loop) spammed "UNKNOWN WORD:
+ * 'MSG-TICK'" on any VM missing the word, found live minting a real
+ * second identity (FABRIC-2.md §F.26 follow-up). That entire pump
+ * mechanism is gone as of this same strip (sk_repl_idle() now calls
+ * sk_hermes_drain_checkpoint() directly, no FORTH word of any kind
+ * required on the target VM), so the failure mode this once worked
+ * around no longer exists either -- this can come out clean, not just
+ * because common:messaging.4th itself no longer exists to load. */
 static const char MINT_DEFAULT_PERSONALITY[] =
    "Block 4999\n"
-    "S\" common:messaging.4th\" EXEC\n"
-    "MSG-CD-INIT\n"
    ": WELCOME ( -- ) .\" Minted identity -- default personality\" CR ;\n"
    "WELCOME\n";

@@ -247,6 +247,11 @@ void capsule_wirebind_try_attach(struct blkio_dev *dev,
        console_println("WIREBIND: console VM birth FAILED");
        return;
    }
+    /* FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4 (Stage E): console_ctx's only use (the
+     * routing-table VM-NAME-REG call above) is gone -- still populated
+     * because capsule_console_birth()'s own signature requires an
+     * out-param regardless, just no longer read here. */
+    (void)console_ctx;
    if (capsule_runcap_birth(dev, sig, user_vm_name, mama_vm->stadium_vm_id, &user_id,
                              &user_ctx) != CAPSULE_RUN_OK) {
        console_println("WIREBIND: user VM birth FAILED");
@@ -326,15 +331,14 @@ void capsule_wirebind_try_attach(struct blkio_dev *dev,
     * continuously by sk_repl_run()'s own main loop rather than a one-shot
     * signal at login time. Nothing to call here anymore. */

-    /* Register the pairing in the console's own routing table, index 3
-     * -- the fixed convention sk_repl_dispatch_line() (repl.c) uses. */
-    {
-        char reg_cmd[sizeof(user_vm_name) + 32];
-        int  n = snprintf(reg_cmd, sizeof(reg_cmd), "S\" %s\" 3 VM-NAME-REG", user_vm_name);
-        if (n > 0 && (size_t)n < sizeof(reg_cmd)) {
-            vm_interpret((VM *)console_ctx, reg_cmd);
-        }
-    }
+    /* FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4 (Stage E, Category B strip): the messaging.4th
+     * routing-table registration that used to happen here (`S" %s" 3
+     * VM-NAME-REG`) is gone -- sk_repl_dispatch_line() (repl.c) has not
+     * read that table since task 3.9's own cutover (it resolves the
+     * paired identity directly via capsule_vm_find_by_name(), not an
+     * index), and messaging.4th (which defined VM-NAME-REG) no longer
+     * exists at all as of this strip. This was already dead, just not
+     * yet removed -- confirmed by reading, not assumed. */

    console_puts("WIREBIND: ");
    console_puts(username);
@@ -1450,7 +1450,8 @@ static void mama_word_name_to_xt(VM *vm)
 * buffer at buf-addr, matching ZUSE-PUBKEY@'s own convention exactly:
 * chunk i (0..3) is the 8-byte little-endian encoding of pubkey bytes
 * [i*8 .. i*8+7] -- this is that packing's inverse, so a pubkey sent as
- * 4 cells (see common:messaging.4th's SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST) round-trips
+ * 4 cells (the convention SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST used before it was
+ * deleted with messaging.4th, FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4 Stage E) round-trips
 * byte-exact regardless of any individual chunk's sign bit.
 */
 static void mama_word_elevate_pubkey_unpack(VM *vm)
@@ -1101,31 +1101,16 @@ static void kernel_main_deep(BootInfo *boot_info) {
     * guard exists for), not because she lacks MSG-TICK now -- and calls
     * it directly in her own context instead, right after that loop. */

-    /* Hermes is now a permanent fleet-foundation VM, not self-test
-     * scaffolding -- FABRIC-2.md D.7 (birth-by-message-only, 2026-08-28):
-     * the Tripod legs (Hera/Hermes/Artemis) must be alive session-less so
-     * a later thumbdrive-attach flow has a running Hermes/Artemis to
-     * message. Previously born, exercised, and KILLed by item 4.2's own
-     * self-test every boot; that diagnostic exercising is gone, only the
-     * birth remains. */
-    console_println("Startup: birthing Hermes (fleet foundation)...");
-    vm_interpret(mama, "S\" Hermes\" BIRTH");
-    {
-        VMRegistryEntry entry;
-        if (capsule_vm_find_by_name_nocase("Hermes", &entry) == 0 &&
-            entry.state == VM_STATE_LIVE) {
-            console_println("Startup: Hermes live");
-        } else {
-            console_println("Startup: Hermes birth registry lookup FAILED");
-        }
-    }
+    /* FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4 (Stage E), 2026-09-22: Hermes's own birth,
+     * born here as a permanent fleet-foundation VM since FABRIC-2.md
+     * D.7, is retired -- SXXXIV.4's own ruling named this exact moment
+     * ("Hermes's birth and its is_fleet_foundation entry are removed in
+     * Stage E, with the strip, not with the Tripod change") and this is
+     * that strip. */

    /* Hestia is the third reconstituted Tripod leg (Hera/Artemis/Hestia,
-     * FABRIC-3.5.md SII/SIV) -- born here, alongside Hermes, per
-     * FABRIC-3.6.md task 1.4. Hermes stays live too (SXXXIV.4): the
-     * fleet is Hera/Hermes/Artemis/Hestia through Phase 1-3, four VMs,
-     * not three, until Phase 4's Category B strip retires Hermes. Same
-     * birth-by-name-then-registry-check shape as Hermes/Artemis above.
+     * FABRIC-3.5.md SII/SIV) -- born here per FABRIC-3.6.md task 1.4.
+     * Same birth-by-name-then-registry-check shape as Artemis below.
     *
     * HEADLESS INVARIANT (FABRIC-3.5.md SXVIII.6, FABRIC-3.6.md task 1.9):
     * this birth must not set g_wirebind_attached_username, must not
@@ -1149,8 +1134,7 @@ static void kernel_main_deep(BootInfo *boot_info) {
    }

    /* Artemis is now a permanent fleet-foundation VM, not self-test
-     * scaffolding -- same reasoning as Hermes's own birth just above
-     * (FABRIC-2.md D.7). Previously born, exercised, and KILLed by item
+     * scaffolding -- FABRIC-2.md D.7. Previously born, exercised, and KILLed by item
     * 4.6's own self-test every boot; that diagnostic exercising is gone,
     * only the birth remains. Artemis's own capsule still runs its own
     * self-test plus a 30-rep stress campaign at load
@@ -1268,9 +1252,11 @@ static void kernel_main_deep(BootInfo *boot_info) {
     * are confirmed fully born above -- never earlier. This stage has no
     * critical-section protection against being switched away mid-setup,
     * so registering any earlier would risk the signal firing during
-     * Hermes/Artemis's own birth sequencing. */
+     * Artemis's own birth sequencing. FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4 (Stage E),
+     * 2026-09-22: Hermes's own registration here is retired along with
+     * her birth above. */
    {
-        VMRegistryEntry hera_entry, hermes_entry, artemis_entry;
+        VMRegistryEntry hera_entry, artemis_entry;
        if (capsule_vm_registry_get(vm_uuid_hera(), &hera_entry) == 0) {
            sk_vm_switch_signal_register(hera_entry.vm_id);
            /* Seed the switch mechanism's own "who is running" tracker
@@ -1279,17 +1265,13 @@ static void kernel_main_deep(BootInfo *boot_info) {
             * ever happened. */
            sk_vm_switch_set_current(mama);
        }
-        if (capsule_vm_find_by_name_nocase("Hermes", &hermes_entry) == 0 &&
-            hermes_entry.state == VM_STATE_LIVE) {
-            sk_vm_switch_signal_register(hermes_entry.vm_id);
-        }
        if (capsule_vm_find_by_name_nocase("Artemis", &artemis_entry) == 0 &&
            artemis_entry.state == VM_STATE_LIVE) {
            sk_vm_switch_signal_register(artemis_entry.vm_id);
        }
-        /* Hestia is the fourth fleet member through Phase 1-3 (FABRIC-3.5.md
+        /* Hestia is the third fleet member through Phase 4 (FABRIC-3.5.md
         * SXXXIV.4) -- FABRIC-3.6.md task 1.5, same registration shape as
-         * Hermes/Artemis above, added here rather than earlier for the
+         * Artemis above, added here rather than earlier for the
         * identical reason the comment above this block already gives. */
        {
            VMRegistryEntry hestia_entry;
@@ -1302,22 +1284,23 @@ static void kernel_main_deep(BootInfo *boot_info) {

    /* FABRIC-3.6.md task 3.2 (B1) self-test: confirm every live fleet
     * member is a common-channel member (the birth-time subscription just
-     * exercised for real, above -- Hera explicitly, Hermes/Hestia/Artemis
+     * exercised for real, above -- Hera explicitly, Hestia/Artemis
     * through capsule_birth_baby()'s own task 3.2 hook), then create and
     * destroy a synthetic private topic against a synthetic VM id (lo=5,
     * distinct from every other synthetic id this file already uses --
     * lo=1 Stadium quota grant, lo=3 kernel-Hermes alloc/release). Diagnostic
     * only, same posture as every other self-test block in this function:
-     * never used for anything else, never perturbs the real fleet. */
+     * never used for anything else, never perturbs the real fleet.
+     * FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4 (Stage E), 2026-09-22: Hermes's own check
+     * removed -- she is no longer a fleet member, so requiring her here
+     * would report a false FAIL, not a graceful skip like the drain and
+     * channel-open-policy self-tests further down already do for her. */
    {
-        VMRegistryEntry hera_ck, hermes_ck, hestia_ck, artemis_ck;
+        VMRegistryEntry hera_ck, hestia_ck, artemis_ck;
        int fleet_ok = 1;

        if (capsule_vm_find_by_name_nocase("Hera", &hera_ck) != 0 ||
            !sk_hermes_channel_is_member(SK_HERMES_CHANNEL_COMMON, hera_ck.vm_id)) fleet_ok = 0;
-        if (capsule_vm_find_by_name_nocase("Hermes", &hermes_ck) != 0 ||
-            hermes_ck.state != VM_STATE_LIVE ||
-            !sk_hermes_channel_is_member(SK_HERMES_CHANNEL_COMMON, hermes_ck.vm_id)) fleet_ok = 0;
        if (capsule_vm_find_by_name_nocase("Hestia", &hestia_ck) != 0 ||
            hestia_ck.state != VM_STATE_LIVE ||
            !sk_hermes_channel_is_member(SK_HERMES_CHANNEL_COMMON, hestia_ck.vm_id)) fleet_ok = 0;
@@ -444,19 +444,22 @@ static void sk_word_kh_blk_attach_send(VM *vm) {
 #define SK_KH_ELEVATE_BUF_SIZE 256
 static char g_kh_elevate_buf[SK_KH_ELEVATE_BUF_SIZE];

-/* KH-ELEVATE-SEND ( paddr plen -- ok? ): messaging.4th's own
- * SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST builds its payload (a FORTH command string
- * calling ELEVATE-GRANT, block 5040) and hands it here instead of
- * CH-REQUEST's old COMMON-CH/MSG-SEND path. `from`/`to` are derived the
- * same way KH-BLK-ATTACH-SEND's own already does (the calling VM and
- * sk_get_mama_vm() -- ELEVATE-GRANT always runs on Hera, per
- * zuse-eligibility.4th's own header comment) -- the caller never
+/* KH-ELEVATE-SEND ( paddr plen -- ok? ): built for messaging.4th's own
+ * SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST (a FORTH command string calling ELEVATE-GRANT,
+ * zuse-eligibility.4th block 4022), which handed its payload here
+ * instead of CH-REQUEST's old COMMON-CH/MSG-SEND path. `from`/`to` are
+ * derived the same way KH-BLK-ATTACH-SEND's own already does (the
+ * calling VM and sk_get_mama_vm() -- ELEVATE-GRANT always runs on Hera,
+ * per zuse-eligibility.4th's own header comment) -- the caller never
 * supplies either, which is a real correctness improvement over the
- * FORTH path it replaces: CH-REQUEST's own "initiator-only gate...
+ * FORTH path it replaced: CH-REQUEST's own "initiator-only gate...
 * refuses if from doesn't match MY-CH-ID" existed only because a caller
 * COULD claim to be a different VM by passing the wrong stack value;
 * deriving `from` from the C-level calling VM's own identity makes that
- * spoof structurally impossible rather than merely gated. */
+ * spoof structurally impossible rather than merely gated. FABRIC-3.6.md
+ * Phase 4, Stage E deleted messaging.4th -- SEND-ELEVATE-REQUEST no
+ * longer exists anywhere, so this word currently has no FORTH caller.
+ * Found, not fixed; see FABRIC-3.6.md's own Phase 4 entry. */
 static void sk_word_kh_elevate_send(VM *vm) {
    if (vm->dsp < 1) {
        log_message(LOG_ERROR, "KH-ELEVATE-SEND: stack underflow");
@@ -527,49 +530,42 @@ static void sk_cursor_show(void)
    console_fb_draw_cursor();
 }

-/* Reentrancy guards for the MSG-TICK pump inside sk_repl_idle().
+/* Reentrancy guards for the kernel-Hermes drain pump inside sk_repl_idle().
 *
- * sk_repl_idle() runs vm_interpret(mama, ...) (below) to VM-EXEC MSG-TICK
- * into every live child VM (FABRIC-2.md Phase C). But sk_repl_idle() is
- * itself called from the blocking KEY/EXPECT/QUERY reads (sk_console_getkey()
- * / sk_console_readline(), which run *from inside* the executing VM's own
- * vm_interpret once a FORTH word reads input mid-line). vm_interpret() is
- * not reentrant -- it resets the VM's single input_buffer/input_pos/
- * input_length (vm_core.c) on entry. Calling vm_interpret(mama, ...) at that
- * point would re-enter mama's interpreter mid-parse and silently truncate
- * the rest of the line; if the pump's own MSG-TICK work then triggers another
- * blocking read, it would also recurse unboundedly. Two flags keep the pump
- * off every path that could re-enter an interpreter:
+ * FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4 (Stage E), 2026-09-22: this used to guard a
+ * VM-EXEC "MSG-TICK" dispatch into every live child VM (FABRIC-2.md
+ * Phase C, common:messaging.4th, now removed). The mechanism changed --
+ * sk_repl_idle() now calls sk_hermes_drain_checkpoint() directly per VM,
+ * not VM-EXEC -- but the reentrancy hazard these two flags exist for is
+ * unchanged: drain_checkpoint() still calls vm_interpret() internally
+ * (on the drained message's own payload), and sk_repl_idle() is itself
+ * called from the blocking KEY/EXPECT/QUERY reads (sk_console_getkey()/
+ * sk_console_readline(), which run *from inside* the executing VM's own
+ * vm_interpret once a FORTH word reads input mid-line). vm_interpret()
+ * is not reentrant -- it resets the VM's single input_buffer/input_pos/
+ * input_length (vm_core.c) on entry. Calling it on mama at that point
+ * would re-enter her interpreter mid-parse and silently truncate the
+ * rest of the line. Two flags keep the pump off every path that could
+ * re-enter an interpreter:
 *   - g_mama_interpreting: set while Hera is executing a dispatched line, so
 *     the pump defers to the next safe (prompt) boundary.
 *   - g_idle_pump_active:   belt-and-suspenders; stops recursive re-entry
- *     from inside the pump's own vm_interpret call.
+ *     from inside the pump's own drain call.
 */
 static int g_mama_interpreting;   /* zero-initialized (BSS) */
 static int g_idle_pump_active;    /* zero-initialized (BSS) */

-/* FABRIC-3.md SXXII (2026-09-12): the messaging pump below used to walk
- * the ENTIRE live-VM registry every idle beat and dispatch a full
- * VM-EXEC "MSG-TICK" into every one of them -- O(N) per tick, forever,
- * with no cap. Fine at Tripod's original 3-VM scale; live-caught as a
- * real bottleneck at just 9 VMs on riscv64 (a std79 turn-attractor
- * campaign that completed in ~200-340s on amd64/aarch64 never finished
- * on riscv64 at the same VM count, while 8 VMs was fine there too --
- * the qemu-instance progress check (utime climbing steadily, ~66-75%
- * CPU) ruled out a hang; it was genuinely just this loop, at riscv64's
- * slower per-dispatch cost, dominating wall time). The real fleet is
- * headed toward hundreds of VMs, at which point this isn't a riscv64
- * quirk -- unconditional O(N) per second is a wall on every
- * architecture. Fixed by round-robin batching: SK_MSG_PUMP_BATCH live
- * VMs get dispatched per beat, not all of them, with a persistent
- * cursor picking up where the previous beat left off (wrapping around
- * the registry). Bounds both the scan and the dispatch cost to O(K)
- * regardless of total VM count -- the tradeoff is that any single VM's
- * own queue now drains roughly every ceil(N/K) beats instead of every
- * beat, which is still bounded and still matches the pump's own
- * existing "best-effort, resumes next beat" contract. */
-#define SK_MSG_PUMP_BATCH  4u   /* max VM-EXEC MSG-TICK dispatches per idle beat */
-static uint32_t g_msg_pump_cursor;   /* zero-initialized (BSS) */
+/* FABRIC-3.md SXXII (2026-09-12) recorded a real O(N) bottleneck here --
+ * the messaging pump below used to walk the entire live-VM registry
+ * every idle beat and dispatch a full VM-EXEC "MSG-TICK" into every one
+ * of them, live-caught as a wall-time-dominating cost at just 9 VMs on
+ * riscv64 -- and fixed it with round-robin batching (a persistent
+ * cursor, a fixed number of dispatches per beat). FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4
+ * (Stage E), 2026-09-22: that whole mechanism (MSG-TICK, the batching
+ * cap, and this comment's own prior form) is gone along with
+ * common:messaging.4th itself -- see sk_repl_idle()'s own current
+ * comment, just below, for why the replacement (kernel-Hermes drain)
+ * does not carry the same O(N) cost and needs no cap. */

 static void sk_repl_idle(VM *active_vm)
 {
@@ -857,18 +853,25 @@ static void sk_repl_idle(VM *active_vm)
     * comment. */
    capsule_wirebind_reap_idle_check();

-    /* FABRIC-2.md Phase C (2026-08-28): distributed messaging pump. Every
-     * live VM except Hera herself now owns its own MSG-ARENA/CH-ARENA and
-     * MSG-TICK word (see capsules/common/messaging.4th) instead of only
-     * Hermes having one -- "fully distributed, Hera pumps each VM's
-     * drain" was the confirmed design. Hera is excluded: she never loads
-     * common:messaging.4th (kernel_main.c's own comment at the Hermes-
-     * birth call site explains why -- the STADIUM-* primitives it needs
-     * are deliberately never registered in her own dictionary, to keep
-     * her dict_hash off item 4.1's baseline), so MSG-TICK is genuinely
-     * absent there, not just untried. She is the only VM with a
-     * persistent idle tick, so she walks the registry once per idle beat
-     * and VM-EXECs MSG-TICK into every OTHER live VM's own dictionary. */
+    /* FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4 (Stage E, Category B strip), 2026-09-22:
+     * this used to be a distributed FORTH messaging pump -- FABRIC-2.md
+     * Phase C's own design, VM-EXEC'ing MSG-TICK into every live VM's
+     * own dictionary once per idle beat (common:messaging.4th, now
+     * removed entirely). That mechanism, and the comment that used to
+     * sit here explaining it, are both gone: kernel-Hermes's own drain
+     * (below) has needed no FORTH word since task 3.9, and every
+     * messaging.4th-owned message type had a real cutover by task 3.10
+     * (FABRIC-3.6.md task 3.11, Phase 3 gate). The prior version of this
+     * comment also claimed "Hera never loads common:messaging.4th" --
+     * that was already wrong before this strip (capsules/init.4th line
+     * 21 EXECs it directly; task 3.10's own live FIND-based check
+     * confirmed it), not just made moot by removing the file. She still
+     * has the only persistent idle tick, so she is still the one that
+     * walks the registry once per idle beat -- now purely to give every
+     * live VM's own kernel-Hermes queue a chance to drain, batched the
+     * same round-robin way the old MSG-TICK dispatch was (SK_MSG_PUMP_
+     * BATCH below), kept for the same reason: bounding this to O(K)
+     * regardless of total VM count, not O(N) every beat. */
    VM *mama = (VM *)sk_get_mama_vm();

    /* Reentrancy guard: never run the pump while mama is mid-interpret
@@ -887,93 +890,42 @@ static void sk_repl_idle(VM *active_vm)

    g_idle_pump_active = 1;
    {
-        uint32_t count      = capsule_vm_registry_count();
-        uint32_t dispatched = 0;
-        uint32_t scanned    = 0;
-        uint32_t i          = (count > 0) ? (g_msg_pump_cursor % count) : 0;
+        /* FABRIC-3.6.md Phase 4 (Stage E), 2026-09-22: the SK_MSG_PUMP_
+         * BATCH cap this loop used to enforce existed to bound the cost
+         * of the old MSG-TICK VM-EXEC dispatch -- a genuinely expensive
+         * per-VM vm_interpret() call, confirmed live as a real O(N)
+         * bottleneck at just 9 VMs on riscv64 (see this section's own
+         * history above). sk_hermes_drain_checkpoint() (task 3.4) is not
+         * that: its own fast path is a single global-counter read
+         * (sk_hermes_pending_total == 0 -> return immediately,
+         * kernel_hermes.c's own doc comment), so walking every live VM
+         * every beat costs one cheap integer read per VM in the common
+         * case (nothing in flight), not an O(N) wall -- the cap this
+         * loop's own comment history worried about does not apply to
+         * this call. Removed: every live VM (except mama, handled
+         * separately below) is now visited every idle beat, matching
+         * what task 3.9's own testing already exercised, without the
+         * ceil(N/SK_MSG_PUMP_BATCH)-beat delivery latency the cap was
+         * accidentally imposing on kernel-Hermes drain specifically. */
+        uint32_t count = capsule_vm_registry_count();
+        uint32_t i;

-        while (count > 0 && dispatched < SK_MSG_PUMP_BATCH && scanned < count) {
+        for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
            VMRegistryEntry ent;
-            scanned++;
-
            if (capsule_vm_registry_get_by_index(i, &ent) == 0 &&
                ent.state == VM_STATE_LIVE &&
                ent.vm_ptr != (void *)mama) {
-                /* FABRIC-3.6.md task 3.9, found live 2026-09-22: kernel-
-                 * Hermes's own drain (sk_hermes_drain_checkpoint(), task
-                 * 3.4) only ever runs as a side effect of vm_interpret()
-                 * being called ON the target VM (vm_core.c's own outermost-
-                 * interpret checkpoint hook) -- it has nothing to do with
-                 * the old FORTH MSG-TICK word this loop was built around.
-                 * A WIREBIND identity minted with the STD79-lockdown
-                 * personality (MINT_PERSONALITY_STD79_LOCKDOWN) never loads
-                 * common:messaging.4th, so the MSG-TICK gate just below
-                 * always skips it -- meaning it never got an interpret
-                 * tick at all, meaning a CONSOLE-CMD-EVENT queued for it
-                 * sat in its pending queue forever, silently. Confirmed
-                 * live: sk_hermes_send_one() returned 0 (queued OK) but no
-                 * drain ever ran. Called unconditionally here, independent
-                 * of the MSG-TICK check below -- kernel-Hermes doesn't need
-                 * a FORTH word to exist, it just needs its target VM to get
-                 * an outermost interpret call periodically. Direct C call,
-                 * not routed through VM-EXEC/vm_interpret: drain_checkpoint
-                 * already saves/restores the target's own interpret state
-                 * internally (kernel_main.c's own self-test calls it the
-                 * same standalone way), so no vm_interpret() wrapper is
-                 * needed to reach it from here. */
                (void)sk_hermes_drain_checkpoint((VM *)ent.vm_ptr);
-
-                /* FABRIC-3.md, 2026-09-09: a per-VM flag (e.g. "this one is
-                 * std79-locked") doesn't generalize -- any VM whose own
-                 * dictionary lacks MSG-TICK, for whatever reason (never
-                 * loaded common:messaging.4th, a future personality that
-                 * drops it, ACL denial), hits the identical failure. So
-                 * check the actual target VM's own dictionary fresh every
-                 * tick, the same source of truth the interpreter's own ACL
-                 * enforcement uses (vm_core.c), rather than pre-flag specific
-                 * personalities. Skip silently rather than spam "VM-EXEC:
-                 * ERROR in <name>" every idle tick forever for a VM that
-                 * plain doesn't have -- or isn't allowed -- MSG-TICK
-                 * (live-caught 2026-09-07/09). */
-                DictEntry *msgtick = vm_find_word((VM *)ent.vm_ptr, "MSG-TICK", 8);
-                if (msgtick && msgtick->acl_allow) {
-                    static const char PFX[] = "S\" MSG-TICK\" S\" ";
-                    static const char SFX[] = "\" VM-EXEC";
-                    char   cmd[128];
-                    size_t p = 0;
-                    size_t name_len = strlen(ent.name);
-                    if (name_len > VM_NAME_MAX - 1u) name_len = VM_NAME_MAX - 1u;
-
-                    memcpy(cmd + p, PFX, sizeof(PFX) - 1u); p += sizeof(PFX) - 1u;
-                    memcpy(cmd + p, ent.name, name_len);    p += name_len;
-                    memcpy(cmd + p, SFX, sizeof(SFX) - 1u); p += sizeof(SFX) - 1u;
-                    cmd[p] = '\0';
-
-                    vm_interpret(mama, cmd);
-                    dispatched++;
-                }
            }
-
-            i = (i + 1u) % count;
-        }
-        g_msg_pump_cursor = i;
-    }
-    /* FABRIC-3.md SXX: Hera now genuinely has her own MSG-ARENA/CH-ARENA
-     * (the messaging-load root cause above is fixed -- see kernel_main.c's
-     * own updated comment at the Hermes-birth call site), so her own
-     * queued messages need draining too, same as every other VM's. She's
-     * excluded from the loop above not because she lacks MSG-TICK now, but
-     * because she IS the pump -- self-targeting VM-EXEC would hit the same
-     * reentrancy class the guard above exists for. No such problem calling
-     * MSG-TICK directly here, though: it's a plain word in her own
-     * dictionary, not a VM-EXEC dispatch into anyone else's input buffer.
-     * Guarded the same defensive way as the loop above, not assumed. */
-    {
-        DictEntry *msgtick = vm_find_word(mama, "MSG-TICK", 8);
-        if (msgtick && msgtick->acl_allow) {
-            vm_interpret(mama, "MSG-TICK");
        }
    }
+    /* Hera's own kernel-Hermes queue needs draining too, same as every
+     * other VM's -- she is excluded from the loop above not because she
+     * has nothing to drain, but because she IS the pump: a self-
+     * targeting call here runs directly, no VM-EXEC/reentrancy concern
+     * (sk_hermes_drain_checkpoint() is a plain C call, not a dispatch
+     * into anyone else's input buffer). */
+    (void)sk_hermes_drain_checkpoint(mama);
    g_idle_pump_active = 0;

    if (console_tx_count() == tx_before_idle) {