Session 57: Phase 0 — Kill the Lies (2309 tests)

Work-order Phase 0 (Jul 10 live audit): every fabricated UI element deleted
or rewired to real data. Deletion sprint — no new product features.

0.1 Fake NBA game: root cause was scheduleService fetching the ESPN
    scoreboard with no ?dates= param or date filter — off-season ESPN
    returns the NEAREST slate (Jun 13 NYK@SA Finals rendered as tonight).
    Now pinned to the requested ET date + defensive filter; undated events
    dropped. Honest month-aware per-sport empty states (lib/emptyState.js).
0.2 Fake header counters: liveTick stripped to a bare 1s pulse (the
    auto-incrementing "247 graded", sin-driven brain-%, aPlus/cascades are
    dead). New GET /api/snapshot/summary (cache-only, before /:sport) +
    Next proxy; HeartbeatBar shows the real graded count and SYNC =
    elapsed since the last pipeline run (amber past 5 min).
0.3 Ticker: hardcoded fallback items deleted (real snapshot exhaust only);
    MOVE kept — computeLineDeltas is real movement. <4 real items → no
    ticker; bar publishes --ticker-h so the fixed header collapses cleanly.
0.4 /terminal retired: route redirects to /dashboard; VVI/injury-wire/
    leaders layouts preserved unrouted as §12 content-engine templates.
    Nav PRIMARY = Slate/Scan/Ledger; BottomTabBar Terminal→Explore; PWA
    shortcut Terminal→Ledger; #terminal alias → /dashboard.
0.5 ›Query nav pill deleted (duplicate /scan link).

Backend 2289 → 2309 tests (199 suites), web build exit 0.
Spec: specs/phase-0-kill-the-lies.md. Next: work-order Phase 1 (ledger
persistence + settlement).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

web/src/components/BottomTabBar.tsx

@@ -5,11 +5,15 @@ import { usePathname } from 'next/navigation';
 
 /**
  * VYNDR 2.0 mobile tab bar (§6, Session 37). The PWA's primary navigation —
- * 5 tabs: Slate · Terminal · Scan · Ledger · More. Scan is prominent (raised,
+ * 5 tabs: Slate · Explore · Scan · Ledger · More. Scan is prominent (raised,
  * grade-green) because it's the core action. More opens a bottom sheet with
  * every secondary route. Hidden ≥768px via globals.css (.mobile-tab-bar).
  *
- * Shown for everyone (anon included): Slate/Terminal/Scan are open routes and
+ * Session 57 (Phase 0): the Terminal tab is gone — that surface was fabricated
+ * and now redirects to /dashboard. Explore (real graded-props browser) takes
+ * its slot so the bar keeps 5 tabs.
+ *
+ * Shown for everyone (anon included): Slate/Explore/Scan are open routes and
  * this is the only mobile nav. Gated routes (Ledger, Account…) bounce through
  * the client AuthGate when an anon user taps them.
  */
@@ -24,7 +28,7 @@ type TabDef = {
 
 const TABS: TabDef[] = [
   { id: 'slate', label: 'Slate', href: '/dashboard', icon: SlateIcon },
-  { id: 'terminal', label: 'Terminal', href: '/terminal', icon: TerminalIcon },
+  { id: 'explore', label: 'Explore', href: '/explore', icon: ExploreIcon },
   { id: 'scan', label: 'Scan', href: '/scan', icon: ScanIcon, primary: true },
   { id: 'ledger', label: 'Ledger', href: '/ledger', icon: LedgerIcon },
   { id: 'more', label: 'More', icon: MoreIcon, isSheet: true },
@@ -200,10 +204,10 @@ function SlateIcon({ color }: { color: string }) {
     </svg>
   );
 }
-function TerminalIcon({ color }: { color: string }) {
+function ExploreIcon({ color }: { color: string }) {
   return (
     <svg width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke={color} strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round">
-      <rect x="3" y="4" width="18" height="16" rx="2" /><path d="M7 9l3 3-3 3" /><path d="M13 15h4" />
+      <circle cx="12" cy="12" r="9" /><path d="M15.5 8.5l-2 5-5 2 2-5z" />
     </svg>
   );
 }

web/src/components/Nav.tsx

@@ -9,13 +9,16 @@ import NotificationBell from '@/components/NotificationBell';
 // Nav labels are English literals for now; nav-string i18n lands in Phase G
 // (Session 38) once the locale dictionaries carry slate/terminal/etc. keys.
 
-// VYNDR 2.0 nav (§6, Session 34). Primary links are SLATE / TERMINAL / SCAN /
-// LEDGER; everything else lives under a More dropdown. All nav chrome is
+// VYNDR 2.0 nav (§6, Session 34). Primary links are SLATE / SCAN / LEDGER;
+// everything else lives under a More dropdown. All nav chrome is
 // JetBrains Mono, uppercase, 11px — system language, not SaaS sans. Active
 // route is grade-green (--g-a); a Ticker runs under the bar.
+// Session 57 (Phase 0) — TERMINAL removed: the surface was fabricated sample
+// data (audit verdict REBUILD). Its layouts live on as §12 content-engine
+// templates in components/intel/TerminalTemplates.tsx; "The Terminal" survives
+// as brand language only. Don't re-add the link until it's fed real data.
 const PRIMARY = [
   { id: 'slate', label: 'Slate', href: '/dashboard' },
-  { id: 'terminal', label: 'Terminal', href: '/terminal' },
   { id: 'scan', label: 'Scan', href: '/scan' },
   { id: 'ledger', label: 'Ledger', href: '/ledger' },
 ];
@@ -29,12 +32,10 @@ const MORE = [
   { label: 'Settings', href: '/settings' },
 ];
 
-const TICKER_ITEMS = [
-  { tag: 'A+', text: 'Signal detected · Wembanyama Points', glow: true },
-  { tag: 'LIVE', text: 'NYK vs SA · Q3 4:22', color: 'var(--live)' },
-  { tag: 'CASCADE', text: 'Murray OUT → Jokic usage', delta: '▲+12%', color: 'var(--g-b)' },
-  { tag: 'MOVE', text: 'Tatum o27.5 → o26.5', delta: '▼-1.0', color: 'var(--amber)' },
-];
+// Session 57 (Phase 0) — the hardcoded fallback ticker items (fake Wembanyama
+// signal, "NYK vs SA Q3", invented Tatum move) are DELETED. The ticker renders
+// only real /api/ticker snapshot exhaust, and hides itself entirely below 4
+// real items (spec §3). Never seed it with fabricated content again.
 
 function isActive(pathname: string, href: string) {
   return pathname === href || pathname.startsWith(href + '/');
@@ -175,32 +176,10 @@ export default function Nav() {
             </div>
           </div>
 
-          {/* Right — search, bell, read meter / plan, avatar */}
+          {/* Right — bell, read meter / plan, avatar. Session 57 (Phase 0):
+              the "›Query" pill was a duplicate link to /scan — deleted. A real
+              ⌘K palette is a later nicety (spec §4), not a nav link. */}
           <div style={{ display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: 10 }}>
-            <a
-              href="/scan"
-              title="Query the system"
-              className="mono"
-              style={{
-                display: 'none',
-                alignItems: 'center',
-                gap: 7,
-                height: 28,
-                padding: '0 10px',
-                borderRadius: 7,
-                border: '1px solid var(--border-hi)',
-                background: 'var(--bg-2)',
-                color: 'var(--text-1)',
-                textDecoration: 'none',
-                fontSize: 11,
-                letterSpacing: '0.06em',
-              }}
-              data-search-trigger
-            >
-              <span style={{ color: 'var(--g-a)' }}>›</span>
-              <span>Query</span>
-            </a>
-
             {/* Preferences (language / odds format / accessibility) — §9/§10 */}
             <button
               onClick={() => typeof window !== 'undefined' && window.__prefs && window.__prefs()}
@@ -408,8 +387,9 @@ export default function Nav() {
         )}
       </nav>
 
-      {/* Ticker + heartbeat under the bar (§8 living layer) */}
-      <Ticker items={TICKER_ITEMS} height={32} />
+      {/* Ticker + heartbeat under the bar (§8 living layer). No fallback
+          items — real snapshot exhaust or nothing. */}
+      <Ticker items={[]} height={32} />
       <HeartbeatBar />
 
       <style jsx>{`
@@ -423,9 +403,6 @@ export default function Nav() {
           :global(.nav-mobile-panel) {
             display: none !important;
           }
-          :global([data-search-trigger]) {
-            display: inline-flex !important;
-          }
         }
       `}</style>
     </div>

web/src/components/Slate.tsx

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import VyndrGameCard, { type GameCardData } from '@/components/vyndr/GameCard';
 import type { SlateSport, GameLines, GameStreak } from '@/components/GameCard';
 import { PropRowProp, Tier } from '@/components/PropRow';
 import { isRelevantGame, detectBestLines, indexGrades, indexDeltas, buildPlayerStripsFromProps, formatGameTime, buildPitcherMap, pitchersForGameTeams } from '@/lib/slateAdapter';
+import { emptyStateCopy } from '@/lib/emptyState';
 import { useAuth } from '@/contexts/AuthContext';
 // Session 23 — all-day intelligence layer. The stat filter is the
 // navigation system; streaks + hot lists layer ON TOP of the odds the
@@ -606,7 +607,9 @@ export default function Slate({ initialTab = 'all', tier = 'free', preferredBook
       <div
         style={{
           position: 'sticky',
-          top: 122, // clears nav (60) + ticker (32) + heartbeat (30) — Session 38
+          // Clears nav (60) + heartbeat (30) + the dynamic ticker (Session 57:
+          // --ticker-h is 32px only when the ticker has ≥4 real items).
+          top: 'calc(90px + var(--ticker-h, 0px))',
           zIndex: 5,
           background: 'var(--bg-0, #0A0A0F)',
           paddingTop: 12,
@@ -805,7 +808,17 @@ export default function Slate({ initialTab = 'all', tier = 'free', preferredBook
               </a>
             </>
           ) : (
-            <p>No games published yet today. Check back closer to first pitch / tip-off / kickoff.</p>
+            // Session 57 (Phase 0) — honest per-sport empty copy (spec §6):
+            // off-season sports name their return window; in-season = off-day.
+            (() => {
+              const { title, body } = emptyStateCopy(tab);
+              return (
+                <>
+                  <p style={{ fontWeight: 700, color: 'var(--text-primary, #EDEDF2)', marginBottom: 6 }}>{title}</p>
+                  <p>{body}</p>
+                </>
+              );
+            })()
           )}
         </div>
       )}

web/src/components/intel/TerminalTemplates.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,216 @@
+import SectionHead from '@/components/vyndr/SectionHead';
+import GradeBadge from '@/components/vyndr/GradeBadge';
+import SportBadge from '@/components/vyndr/SportBadge';
+
+/* ============================================================
+   RETIRED SURFACE — §12 CONTENT-ENGINE TEMPLATES ONLY. NOT ROUTED.
+
+   Session 57 (Phase 0): the /terminal page shipped with this fabricated
+   sample dataset (Finals-era NBA injuries, invented VVI scores, made-up
+   leaders) rendered as live intelligence — audit verdict: REBUILD. The
+   route now redirects to /dashboard.
+
+   The LAYOUTS below (VVI cards, injury wire, gradeable leaders, matchup
+   exploits) are visually strong and preserved here as templates for the
+   §12 content engine. Feed them REAL data (scheduleService.getGameSummary
+   injuries, snapshot grades, /api/stats/leaders) before routing anything
+   that renders them. Every constant below is SAMPLE data — never let it
+   reach a user-facing surface.
+   ============================================================ */
+const INJURY_WIRE = [
+  {
+    player: 'Jamal Murray', team: 'DEN', sport: 'nba', status: 'OUT', injury: 'Hamstring', posted: '2h ago',
+    cascade: [
+      { player: 'Nikola Jokić', stat: 'Assists', delta: '+3.2% usage', grade: 'A+' },
+      { player: 'Russell Westbrook', stat: 'Points', delta: '+4.1% usage', grade: 'B' },
+    ],
+  },
+  {
+    player: 'Jeremy Sochan', team: 'SA', sport: 'nba', status: 'OUT', injury: 'Ankle sprain', posted: '3h ago',
+    cascade: [
+      { player: 'Victor Wembanyama', stat: 'Points', delta: '+3.2% usage', grade: 'A' },
+      { player: 'Devin Vassell', stat: '3PT Made', delta: '+2.0% usage', grade: 'B' },
+    ],
+  },
+  {
+    player: 'Mookie Betts', team: 'LAD', sport: 'mlb', status: 'GTD', injury: 'Wrist', posted: '40m ago',
+    cascade: [{ player: 'Shohei Ohtani', stat: 'RBIs', delta: '+1.9% lineup', grade: 'C' }],
+  },
+];
+
+const IMPACTED_GAMES = [
+  { sport: 'nba', match: 'LAL @ SA', time: '10:30 PM ET', vvi: 92, graded: 7, note: 'Sochan OUT spikes Wembanyama usage; LAL pace + 26th-vs-C matchup compound it.', drivers: ['INJURY CASCADE', 'PACE', 'MATCHUP', 'BLOWOUT RISK'] },
+  { sport: 'mlb', match: 'LAD @ ATL', time: '7:20 PM ET', vvi: 78, graded: 5, note: 'Truist Park boosts LH power; Ohtani platoon edge vs RHP, ATL bullpen on fumes.', drivers: ['PARK FACTOR', 'PLATOON', 'BULLPEN FATIGUE'] },
+  { sport: 'wnba', match: 'NY @ LV', time: '9:00 PM ET', vvi: 71, graded: 4, note: "Wilson 31% usage vs NY's soft interior; Liberty on a back-to-back.", drivers: ['USAGE', 'MATCHUP', 'REST EDGE'] },
+];
+
+const FACTOR_PULSE = [
+  { count: 11, label: 'Injury cascades', hint: 'props recalibrated', color: 'var(--g-b)' },
+  { count: 8, label: 'Pace mismatches', hint: 'tempo edges', color: 'var(--g-a)' },
+  { count: 6, label: 'Park / platoon', hint: 'MLB power spots', color: 'var(--g-a)' },
+  { count: 5, label: 'Blowout risk', hint: 'minutes-capped', color: 'var(--miss)' },
+];
+
+const LEADERS: { key: string; rows: { player: string; team: string; val: string; grade: string; gradeable: boolean }[] }[] = [
+  {
+    key: 'NBA · Points',
+    rows: [
+      { player: 'Nikola Jokić', team: 'DEN', val: '31.2', grade: 'A+', gradeable: true },
+      { player: 'Victor Wembanyama', team: 'SA', val: '29.4', grade: 'A', gradeable: true },
+      { player: 'Anthony Edwards', team: 'MIN', val: '28.4', grade: 'A', gradeable: true },
+    ],
+  },
+  {
+    key: 'MLB · Total Bases',
+    rows: [
+      { player: 'Shohei Ohtani', team: 'LAD', val: '2.25', grade: 'A', gradeable: true },
+      { player: 'Aaron Judge', team: 'NYY', val: '2.10', grade: 'B', gradeable: false },
+    ],
+  },
+];
+
+const MATCHUP_EXPLOITS = [
+  { sport: 'nba', team: 'LAL', rank: '26th', stat: 'Points allowed to C', exploit: 'Wembanyama Points O26.5 · A' },
+  { sport: 'wnba', team: 'NY', rank: '8th', stat: 'Opp paint FG% allowed', exploit: "A'ja Wilson Points O23.5 · A" },
+  { sport: 'mlb', team: 'ATL', rank: 'T-4th', stat: 'HR/9 to lefties', exploit: 'Ohtani Total Bases O1.5 · A' },
+];
+
+const statusColor = (s: string) =>
+  s === 'OUT' ? 'var(--miss)' : s === 'GTD' || s === 'QUESTIONABLE' ? 'var(--amber)' : 'var(--text-1)';
+
+function vviColor(v: number) {
+  return v >= 85 ? 'var(--g-ap)' : v >= 75 ? 'var(--g-a)' : v >= 65 ? 'var(--g-b)' : 'var(--g-c)';
+}
+
+const card: React.CSSProperties = { background: 'var(--bg-1)', border: '1px solid var(--border)', borderRadius: 10, padding: 16 };
+
+export default function TerminalIntelTemplates() {
+  return (
+    <section style={{ maxWidth: 1100, margin: '0 auto', padding: '28px 16px 96px' }}>
+      {/* HEADER */}
+      <header style={{ marginBottom: 22 }}>
+        <SectionHead accent="var(--g-a)">▚ LEAGUE INTELLIGENCE</SectionHead>
+        <h1 className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 30, fontWeight: 800, letterSpacing: '-0.02em', margin: '8px 0 6px' }}>THE TERMINAL</h1>
+        <p className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 13, color: 'var(--text-1)' }}>
+          The context the books hide — injury cascades, volatility, and the spots tonight's slate underprices.
+        </p>
+      </header>
+
+      {/* VVI — IMPACTED GAMES (intel surface) */}
+      <SectionHead style={{ marginBottom: 12 }}>VYNDR VOLATILITY INDEX · MOST-IMPACTED GAMES</SectionHead>
+      <div style={{ display: 'grid', gridTemplateColumns: 'repeat(auto-fill, minmax(300px, 1fr))', gap: 12, marginBottom: 28 }}>
+        {IMPACTED_GAMES.map((g) => (
+          <div key={g.match} className="intel-surface scanlines" style={{ borderRadius: 10, padding: 16, position: 'relative', overflow: 'hidden' }}>
+            <div style={{ position: 'relative', zIndex: 2 }}>
+              <div style={{ display: 'flex', justifyContent: 'space-between', alignItems: 'flex-start' }}>
+                <div style={{ display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: 8 }}>
+                  <SportBadge sport={g.sport} size="sm" />
+                  <span className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 15, fontWeight: 800, color: '#e8fff4' }}>{g.match}</span>
+                </div>
+                <div style={{ textAlign: 'right' }}>
+                  <div className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 26, fontWeight: 800, lineHeight: 1, color: vviColor(g.vvi), textShadow: '0 0 14px currentColor' }}>{g.vvi}</div>
+                  <div className="label" style={{ fontSize: 8.5, color: 'rgba(232,255,244,.5)' }}>VVI</div>
+                </div>
+              </div>
+              <div className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 11.5, color: 'rgba(232,255,244,.75)', margin: '10px 0', lineHeight: 1.55 }}>{g.note}</div>
+              <div style={{ display: 'flex', flexWrap: 'wrap', gap: 5 }}>
+                {g.drivers.map((d) => (
+                  <span key={d} className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 9, fontWeight: 700, letterSpacing: '0.06em', padding: '2px 6px', borderRadius: 3, color: '#bdf5e2', border: '1px solid rgba(0,255,184,.3)', background: 'rgba(0,0,0,.25)' }}>{d}</span>
+                ))}
+              </div>
+              <div className="mono" style={{ marginTop: 10, fontSize: 11, color: 'var(--g-a)' }}>{g.graded} graded props · {g.time}</div>
+            </div>
+          </div>
+        ))}
+      </div>
+
+      <div className="terminal-grid" style={{ display: 'grid', gridTemplateColumns: 'repeat(auto-fill, minmax(320px, 1fr))', gap: 20 }}>
+        {/* INJURY CASCADES */}
+        <div>
+          <SectionHead style={{ marginBottom: 12 }}>INJURY WIRE · CASCADE ANALYSIS</SectionHead>
+          <div style={{ display: 'flex', flexDirection: 'column', gap: 10 }}>
+            {INJURY_WIRE.map((w) => (
+              <div key={w.player} style={card}>
+                <div style={{ display: 'flex', justifyContent: 'space-between', alignItems: 'center', marginBottom: 10 }}>
+                  <div style={{ display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: 8 }}>
+                    <SportBadge sport={w.sport} size="sm" />
+                    <span style={{ fontSize: 14, fontWeight: 700 }}>{w.player}</span>
+                    <span className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 11, color: 'var(--text-2)' }}>{w.team}</span>
+                  </div>
+                  <span className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 10, fontWeight: 700, letterSpacing: '0.08em', color: statusColor(w.status) }}>{w.status}</span>
+                </div>
+                <div className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 11, color: 'var(--text-2)', marginBottom: 10 }}>{w.injury} · {w.posted}</div>
+                <div style={{ display: 'flex', flexDirection: 'column', gap: 7 }}>
+                  {w.cascade.map((c, i) => (
+                    <div key={i} style={{ display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: 9 }}>
+                      <span className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 12, color: 'var(--g-a)' }}>↳</span>
+                      <span style={{ flex: 1, minWidth: 0 }}>
+                        <span style={{ fontSize: 13, fontWeight: 600 }}>{c.player}</span>
+                        <span className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 11.5, color: 'var(--text-1)' }}> · {c.stat} <span style={{ color: 'var(--g-a)', fontWeight: 700 }}>▲ {c.delta}</span></span>
+                      </span>
+                      <GradeBadge grade={c.grade} size="sm" glow />
+                    </div>
+                  ))}
+                </div>
+              </div>
+            ))}
+          </div>
+        </div>
+
+        {/* RIGHT COLUMN */}
+        <div style={{ display: 'flex', flexDirection: 'column', gap: 20 }}>
+          {/* FACTOR PULSE */}
+          <div>
+            <SectionHead style={{ marginBottom: 12 }}>FACTOR PULSE · FIRING NOW</SectionHead>
+            <div style={{ display: 'grid', gridTemplateColumns: '1fr 1fr', gap: 10 }}>
+              {FACTOR_PULSE.map((f) => (
+                <div key={f.label} style={card}>
+                  <div className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 28, fontWeight: 800, color: f.color, lineHeight: 1 }}>{f.count}</div>
+                  <div style={{ fontSize: 12.5, fontWeight: 700, marginTop: 6 }}>{f.label}</div>
+                  <div className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 10.5, color: 'var(--text-2)', marginTop: 2 }}>{f.hint}</div>
+                </div>
+              ))}
+            </div>
+          </div>
+
+          {/* GRADEABLE LEADERS */}
+          <div>
+            <SectionHead style={{ marginBottom: 12 }}>GRADEABLE LEADERS</SectionHead>
+            {LEADERS.map((grp) => (
+              <div key={grp.key} style={{ ...card, marginBottom: 10 }}>
+                <div className="label" style={{ marginBottom: 9 }}>{grp.key}</div>
+                <div style={{ display: 'flex', flexDirection: 'column', gap: 7 }}>
+                  {grp.rows.map((r) => (
+                    <div key={r.player} style={{ display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: 9 }}>
+                      <span style={{ flex: 1, minWidth: 0, fontSize: 13, fontWeight: 600 }}>{r.player} <span className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 11, color: 'var(--text-2)' }}>{r.team}</span></span>
+                      <span className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 13, fontWeight: 700, color: 'var(--text-0)' }}>{r.val}</span>
+                      <GradeBadge grade={r.grade} size="sm" glow={r.gradeable} />
+                    </div>
+                  ))}
+                </div>
+              </div>
+            ))}
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+
+      {/* MATCHUP EXPLOITS */}
+      <div style={{ marginTop: 28 }}>
+        <SectionHead style={{ marginBottom: 12 }}>MATCHUP EXPLOITS · UNDERPRICED SPOTS</SectionHead>
+        <div style={{ display: 'grid', gridTemplateColumns: 'repeat(auto-fill, minmax(280px, 1fr))', gap: 12 }}>
+          {MATCHUP_EXPLOITS.map((m, i) => (
+            <div key={i} style={card}>
+              <div style={{ display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: 8, marginBottom: 8 }}>
+                <SportBadge sport={m.sport} size="sm" />
+                <span className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 13, fontWeight: 700 }}>{m.team}</span>
+                <span className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 11, color: 'var(--miss)', fontWeight: 700 }}>{m.rank}</span>
+              </div>
+              <div className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 11.5, color: 'var(--text-1)', marginBottom: 8 }}>{m.stat}</div>
+              <div className="mono" style={{ fontSize: 12.5, fontWeight: 700, color: 'var(--g-a)' }}>↳ {m.exploit}</div>
+            </div>
+          ))}
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </section>
+  );
+}

web/src/components/vyndr/LiveLayer.tsx

@@ -39,11 +39,56 @@ export function LiveNumber({ value, className = '', style = {} }: { value: numbe
 
 const EKG = 'M0 12 H10 L13 4 L16 20 L19 12 H30 L33 9 L36 15 L39 12 H50';
 
+interface SnapshotSummary {
+  graded: number;
+  updated_at: string | null;
+}
+
+const SUMMARY_POLL_MS = 60_000;
+const SYNC_AMBER_MS = 5 * 60_000; // §6 SyncClock — amber past 5 min
+
+/** Elapsed-since-snapshot label: MM:SS under an hour, then Xh Ym. */
+function syncLabel(elapsedMs: number): string {
+  const s = Math.max(0, Math.floor(elapsedMs / 1000));
+  if (s < 3600) return `${String(Math.floor(s / 60)).padStart(2, '0')}:${String(s % 60).padStart(2, '0')}`;
+  return `${Math.floor(s / 3600)}h ${Math.floor((s % 3600) / 60)}m`;
+}
+
 /** The system heartbeat (§8): scrolling EKG + SIGNAL LIVE + graded count +
- *  breathing neural % + sync clock. Sits under the ticker. */
+ *  sync clock. Sits under the ticker.
+ *
+ *  Session 57 (Phase 0) — every number here is REAL now. The graded count is
+ *  the snapshot's actual prop count from /api/snapshot/summary (small and true
+ *  beats big and fake), the fabricated brain-% stat is gone entirely, and SYNC counts
+ *  up from the last real pipeline run (amber once it's >5 min stale). No
+ *  summary data → "SYNC —" and no invented count. */
 export function HeartbeatBar() {
-  const live = useLive();
-  const clock = `${String(Math.floor(live.tick / 60) % 60).padStart(2, '0')}:${String(live.tick % 60).padStart(2, '0')}`;
+  const live = useLive(); // 1s pulse — re-renders the elapsed clock
+  const [summary, setSummary] = useState<SnapshotSummary | null>(null);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    let active = true;
+    const load = async () => {
+      try {
+        const r = await fetch('/api/snapshot/summary', { cache: 'no-store' });
+        if (!r.ok) return;
+        const data = await r.json();
+        if (active && typeof data?.graded === 'number') {
+          setSummary({ graded: data.graded, updated_at: data.updated_at ?? null });
+        }
+      } catch {
+        /* keep last known real values — never invent */
+      }
+    };
+    load();
+    const id = setInterval(load, SUMMARY_POLL_MS);
+    return () => { active = false; clearInterval(id); };
+  }, []);
+
+  void live.tick; // subscription drives the 1s clock re-render
+  const syncedAt = summary?.updated_at ? Date.parse(summary.updated_at) : NaN;
+  const elapsed = Number.isFinite(syncedAt) ? Date.now() - syncedAt : null;
+  const stale = elapsed !== null && elapsed > SYNC_AMBER_MS;
   return (
     <div
       className="scanlines"
@@ -77,13 +122,14 @@ export function HeartbeatBar() {
         </div>
       </div>
 
-      <span className="mono" style={{ color: 'var(--text-1)', flexShrink: 0 }}>
-        <LiveNumber value={live.graded} style={{ color: 'var(--text-0)', fontWeight: 700 }} /> graded
+      {summary !== null && (
+        <span className="mono" style={{ color: 'var(--text-1)', flexShrink: 0 }}>
+          <LiveNumber value={summary.graded} style={{ color: 'var(--text-0)', fontWeight: 700 }} /> graded
+        </span>
+      )}
+      <span className="mono" style={{ color: stale ? 'var(--amber)' : 'var(--text-2)', flexShrink: 0 }}>
+        SYNC {elapsed !== null ? syncLabel(elapsed) : '—'}
       </span>
-      <span className="mono" style={{ color: 'var(--text-1)', flexShrink: 0 }}>
-        neural <span style={{ color: 'var(--g-a)', fontWeight: 700 }}>{live.neural}%</span>
-      </span>
-      <span className="mono" style={{ color: 'var(--text-2)', flexShrink: 0 }}>SYNC {clock}</span>
     </div>
   );
 }

web/src/components/vyndr/Ticker.tsx

@@ -27,11 +27,19 @@ const TAG_COLORS: Record<string, string> = {
   MOVE: 'var(--amber)', CASCADE: 'var(--amber)', ALERT: 'var(--text-0)',
 };
 
+// Spec §3 — fewer than 4 real items → no ticker. An almost-empty marquee
+// looping the same item reads as fake; hide the bar instead.
+const MIN_ITEMS = 4;
+
 /**
  * Scrolling marquee (§5). Continuous `ticker-scroll`; content duplicated so the
  * loop is seamless. Session 45 — polls /api/ticker for live snapshot exhaust
- * (top grades, line moves, slate-scanned events); the passed `items` are the
- * initial + graceful fallback so the bar is never empty.
+ * (top grades, line moves, slate-scanned events).
+ *
+ * Session 57 (Phase 0) — real items only: the hardcoded fallback feed is gone
+ * (callers pass []), and with fewer than MIN_ITEMS real items the bar renders
+ * nothing. Visibility is published as `--ticker-h` on <html> so the fixed
+ * header stack (layout main padding, Slate sticky top) collapses with it.
  */
 export default function Ticker({ items, height = 34, live = true, pollMs = 30_000 }: TickerProps) {
   const [feed, setFeed] = useState<TickerItem[] | null>(null);
@@ -66,6 +74,17 @@ export default function Ticker({ items, height = 34, live = true, pollMs = 30_00
   }, [live, pollMs]);
 
   const display = feed && feed.length > 0 ? feed : items;
+  const visible = display.length >= MIN_ITEMS;
+
+  // Publish the bar's height so the fixed-header consumers (layout main
+  // paddingTop, Slate sticky top) stay in sync whether or not the bar shows.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (typeof document === 'undefined') return;
+    document.documentElement.style.setProperty('--ticker-h', visible ? `${height}px` : '0px');
+    return () => { document.documentElement.style.setProperty('--ticker-h', '0px'); };
+  }, [visible, height]);
+
+  if (!visible) return null;
 
   const content = display.map((it, i) => (
     <span