verdict: READY

gaps: []

notes:
  - task_contract present with mode=standard; contract_policy.flow=full_spdd, sync_gate=required, verification_path=automated — all required fields populated.
  - All eight acceptance criteria (AC-1..AC-8) are observable and testable: each names a specific pytest target or rg invocation, and each has a matching `verification:` row (VER-1..VER-8) linked via acceptance_ids.
  - regression_plan.applies=true and every AC is covered by at least one regression_plan.checks row (REG-1..REG-5 cover AC-1..AC-8); REG-2 references real tests confirmed to exist at tests/test_cli.py:59 (TestLegacyAlias.test_install_alias_subcommand_dispatches) and tests/test_cli.py:641 (TestHealthCommand.test_health_command_json_output).
  - Files list covers every surface: new module (mempalace_code/version_check.py), new cli_commands handler (matches existing cli_commands/* pattern), cli.py wiring, conditional pyproject.toml + uv.lock for packaging dep, two test files, and four doc/script files (README.md, docs/OFFLINE_USAGE.md, docs/AGENT_INSTALL.md, scripts/bootstrap.sh). All exist in the worktree.
  - Backlog metadata (docs/BACKLOG.yaml, archive files) is correctly excluded from touched_files/surfaces; AC-8's rg query targets only docs and bootstrap, not backlog.
  - No architectural contradictions: design notes preserve offline-first/zero-API-by-default by gating all network calls behind explicit opt-in or --check-now, using a separate state file (~/.mempalace/version_check.json) instead of mutating config.json, and routing automatic hints to stderr only.
  - The packaging-vs-local-comparator decision is bounded in design notes (use packaging if declared as direct dep, otherwise a tested narrow comparator) and the pyproject.toml/uv.lock entries are conditional on that choice — this is a small implementation degree of freedom, not a hidden blocker.
  - Verification commands are concrete and runnable (pytest with specific node IDs, ruff, pyright, rg); no placeholders.
