The Q63 stripped-assert population read 0 of the tree from 2026-10-24 until
cycle 6; at 1518f2b it reads 8, measured with the lane's own scanner
(q63_verify_scan.py --repo . --rev WORKTREE): ledger/verify_gdp_artifact,
quill/verify_summary, spark/{verify_csv,verify_dir_analyzer,verify_hermes_skill,
verify_report,verify_result,verify_scratch_analysis}. Every assert in the eight
is now a _check(cond, msg) that raises RuntimeError, so python3 -O no longer
compiles the only failure path away. Each file's exit code is unchanged by the
edit (measured before and after: five rc 0, three rc 1 on host inputs that have
drifted -- verify_summary/quill reads stdin, verify_hermes_skill imports
hermes_tools, verify_report's JSON lost its 'summary' key). No assertion
weakened, no input repointed.
Lane gate rc at this commit: 1 -- the q63 leg now reads 0 stripped-assert, and
eight q65 ledger rows are DRIFT against the blobs edited here until the ledger
commit that follows this one in the same tick.
Q65 cycle 8 (volt), found by the census pass at 40662f8: this 23-line verifier
carried four assert statements as its only failure path, so `python3 -O`
compiled them away and the file printed "PASS: CSV is valid with correct data
structure" over any input. Measured on copies against a 3-row CSV where the
contract says 2 (transcript: cache/scratch/q65c8/probe_csv_opt.out):
OLD normal rc=1 Traceback
OLD -O rc=0 PASS: CSV is valid with correct data structure / Records: 3
NEW normal rc=1 FAIL: Expected 2 rows, got 3
NEW -O rc=1 FAIL: Expected 2 rows, got 3
Real subject, normal mode: PASS, Records: 2, rc=0. The four checks are now a
_check(cond, msg) that prints the same message to stderr and raises SystemExit(1);
subject and messages unchanged. Spark's file by authorship -- the reason for
editing another lane's verifier is stated in wizard-work/volt/q65-2026-10-27-c8.md
section 3 and in the queue addendum. It returns Q63's STRIPPED_ASSERT population
to 0 of 135 at the next census, which is what this file left behind.
ledger
spark
quill