# Mission checkpoint — 30 September 2026

## Settings recovery

A failed first settings save could leave a partially copied or rejected `rereintroduced.json`. The next mission then treated the file as damaged existing configuration and disabled further settings writes. `ERR_Settings.Set` now removes the unsuccessful primary only when there was no valid previous file and no fallback backup. Both failed copy/readback and valid-but-incorrect readback use this recovery. A prior primary still creates a backup, and an existing fallback remains authoritative. Failed saves do not change active settings or cached random choices.

The regression executes the actual `Set` body against controlled filesystem faults. It fails against the previous source and passes partial-copy failure, invalid readback and valid-but-wrong data, including restart/retry and existing primary/backup cases. Native compilation and normal settings changes are covered below; native disk faults were not injected.

## Full-route diagnostic budget

The combined victory/lost-helicopter fixture still had a 150-second total cap after adding an administrator-menu probe with its own 90-second cap and two inventory rerolls sharing another 90-second cap. It then requires a fresh 30-second radio defence after interruption. The full-route cap is now a single fixed 300 seconds from initialization, including the default victory outcome. Individual checks, gameplay settings and other outcome budgets are unchanged. An executable startup-selector regression fails the prior source and preserves the other specialized budgets.

## Current checks and retained evidence

The [complete repository check](evidence/check-2026-09-30-fullroute.log.txt) passes all 232 registered test programs. Two bounded parallel reviews also covered radio/extraction/partial-escape policy and settings transactions; only the demonstrated settings defect was changed.

| Native attempt | Captured result | Limit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Radio interaction](evidence/native-2026-09-30-radio-current/report.json) | Seven assertions, one completion, zero script/runtime failures. Actual radio action context and scripted action start defence. | Arranged player position and action invocation; no held human input. Compiles the earlier empty-magazine cargo fix, not proof of delivery. |
| [Prior full route](evidence/native-2026-09-30-escape-deadline/report.json) | 112 assertions; menu, both intel rerolls and interrupted radio defence reached. Failed at step 6 on the old total deadline. | Two rounds requested; neither completed. This is retained failure evidence. |
| [Single bounded retry](evidence/native-2026-09-30-escape-reroll-bound/report.json) | 85 assertions. Current source compiles, administrator controls pass, and the 100-percent inventory batch completes for 129 original actors with zero failed/skipped entries. | The separate fixed 90-second budget expires during the zero-percent second batch. No extraction, victory or restart completion. No further native retry was attempted in this checkpoint. |

All three attempts retain thirteen installed-resource/property/localization errors and therefore fail strict native qualification. The [resource ownership audit](external-addons.md#current-installed-resource-errors-30-september-2026) identifies their owning assets without claiming their compatibility cause. All three sealed runners confirm source and seven external dependency inputs unchanged and private cleanup complete. No unrelated helper received a signal. Testing remained hidden and muted.

The retry includes source manifest `974b10ea981042deaab66c14c019b5ddc55720698358d776408500eea6f8b43e`. Its first reroll began at 13:36:56 and finished at 13:37:49; the shared budget expired at 13:38:26. The second batch's final result was not observed. This does not establish a production reroll failure; avoid weakening native inventory checks or treating a longer fixture budget as gameplay success.

## Next useful work

Keep the base escape route separate from extended administrator inventory stress when collecting its next integration evidence. Preserve this combined stress failure for a focused diagnosis rather than repeatedly enlarging timeouts. Prepare a current development build and fix concrete play blockers; full ordinary escape, remote multiplayer, packaging qualification and equivalent-workload FPS improvement remain unverified. The acceptance ledger remains pending for those requirements. Prison input automation and experimental helicopter flight remain paused. Original missions and installed assets were not edited.