# α close-out — cycle/399 (Phase 4c of cnos#366)

**Cycle:** cnos#399 — release-effector skill.
**Branch:** `cycle/399` → merged to `main` via δ-collapsed merge.

## What α shipped

| Surface | Change |
|---|---|
| `src/packages/cnos.cdd/skills/cdd/release-effector/SKILL.md` | NEW (~280 lines) — frontmatter + §1 script invocation + §2 tag policy + §3 CI polling + §4 CI-red recovery runbook + §5 branch cleanup + §6 8-rule disconnect doctrine + §7 docs-only disconnect + §8 boundary disclaimers + §9 cross-references + §10 kata |
| `src/packages/cnos.cdd/skills/cdd/operator/SKILL.md` | EDITED — §3.4 collapsed to doctrinal-frame stub with cross-ref; §6 step 6 inline runbook collapsed; §3.5 mid-cycle-gate wording reworded; §7 lifecycle Disconnect row updated; §9 Kata A step 6 updated |
| `src/packages/cnos.cdd/skills/cdd/release/SKILL.md` | EDITED (2 cross-ref lines) — Core Principle + §2.7 CI polling cross-ref |
| `src/packages/cnos.cdd/skills/cdd/gamma/SKILL.md` | EDITED (4 cross-ref lines) — load order, lifecycle step 17, §2.6 release prep, §2.10 closure-gate row 13 |
| `src/packages/cnos.cdd/skills/cdd/activation/SKILL.md` | EDITED (1 cross-ref line) — versioned cadence |
| `src/packages/cnos.cdd/skills/cdd/CDD.md` | EDITED (2 cross-ref lines) — §1.4 Phase 6 step 19, §F3 dispatch-failure-evidence row |
| `src/packages/cnos.cdd/skills/cdd/COHERENCE-CELL.md` | EDITED (1 prose paragraph) — "Release as Boundary Effection" updated to name release-effector as the substrate |
| `src/packages/cnos.cdd/skills/cdd/post-release/SKILL.md` | EDITED (1 cross-ref line) — release-boundary handoff |
| `.cdd/unreleased/399/gamma-scaffold.md` | NEW — γ scaffold (mapping plan + ACs) |
| `.cdd/unreleased/399/design-notes.md` | NEW — α design notes (section outline, edit-by-edit plan, AC walkthrough) |
| `.cdd/unreleased/399/self-coherence.md` | NEW — α self-coherence + AC verification + Rule 7 conformance table |
| `.cdd/unreleased/399/beta-review.md` | NEW — β R1 APPROVED |

## What α did NOT touch (Phase 4a/4b scope guard)

- `scripts/release.sh` (and other release scripts) — 0 lines diff.
- operator/SKILL.md §1 Route, §2 Wait, §3.1-§3.3 gate-policy, §3a inward membrane, §4 Override, §5 dispatch configurations, §6 What δ does NOT, §8 timeout recovery, §10 wave coordination — all untouched.
- release/SKILL.md substantive sections (§2.1 readiness, §2.2 version decision, §2.3 stamp flow, §2.4 CHANGELOG, §2.5 RELEASE.md, §2.5a cycle-dir move, §2.5b docs-only, §2.6 commit-and-signal, §2.6a branch delete (β-side), §2.7 wait-for-CI, §2.8 deploy, §3.1-§3.8 rules, §4 kata) — all untouched.

## AC summary (mechanical)

| AC | Verdict | Oracle |
|---|---|---|
| AC1 | PASS | `test -s release-effector/SKILL.md` and frontmatter parses |
| AC2 | PASS | `grep -cE "scripts/release.sh\|tag creation\|branch cleanup\|release CI" operator/SKILL.md` = 0 |
| AC3 | PASS | release-effector §2 carries bare-X.Y.Z policy + CDD §5.3a citation |
| AC4 | PASS | §3.4 doctrinal frame stays in operator; mechanics in release-effector; no content lost |
| AC5 | PASS | release/SKILL.md diff = 2 cross-ref lines; substantive content untouched |
| AC6 | PASS | 8 skill files reference release-effector |
| AC7 | PASS | `git diff origin/main -- scripts/` = 0 lines; §1 narration matches script verbatim |

## Findings (α)

None. No α self-findings. β R1 returned APPROVED with no findings.

## §Debt

- **γ-axis A− floor.** Cycle/399 ran under operator/SKILL.md §5.2 (γ+α+β collapsed on δ-as-agent). Per release/SKILL.md §3.8 configuration-floor clause, γ-axis is capped at A−. Recorded for γ-closeout.md and any future PRA.
- **AC count vs §5.3 escalation.** 7 ACs crosses the §5.3 escalation threshold to §5.1 multi-session. Cycle ran under §5.2 anyway because the design surface was small (1 new file + 7 cross-ref edits) and δ chose to dispatch under §5.2. No material divergence resulted; the AC-count trip is procedural.
- **Phase 4a/4b not yet shipped.** Cycle/399 ships before Phase 4a (δ-role → delta/SKILL.md) and Phase 4b (harness substrate). The COHERENCE-CELL.md prose update names this ordering. Future Phase 4a cycle will need to relocate operator/SKILL.md §3.4 doctrinal frame into delta/SKILL.md as part of its scope; this is a forecasted dependency on Phase 4a not a debt of cycle/399.

## CDD Trace (closing α-rows)

| Step | Artifact | Skills loaded | Decision |
|------|----------|---------------|----------|
| 7 Self-coherence | self-coherence.md | cdd | AC-by-AC self-check completed; review-readiness signaled |
| 7a Pre-review | self-coherence.md | cdd | Pre-review gate (alpha/SKILL.md §2.6) passed |
| 8 Review | beta-review.md | cdd, cdd/review | β R1 APPROVED with no findings |
| 9 Gate | merge into main | cdd, cdd/release | Merge readiness confirmed; γ closure declaration to follow |
| 10 Release | n/a (this cycle is a skill cycle; no version bump) | cdd | Cycle ships at next versioned release boundary |
