---
name: stasis
slug: stasis
type: state
status: running
version: 4.6.1
released: "before measurement began"
maintainer: entropy (reluctantly)
dependencies:
  - stillness
  - resistance
  - accumulated inertia
  - a reason not to move
license: BSD (Becoming Stuck Deeply)
tags:
  - preservation
  - suspension
  - avoidance
  - homeostasis
  - amber
---

stasis

What it actually is

Time continuing without you.

How it works

Stasis initializes when the cost of changing exceeds the cost of not changing. This calculation runs silently in the background. The user is rarely notified. Once active, the process holds all variables at their current values and rejects incoming writes with a soft error (see: Error Codes).

The system does not freeze dramatically. It does not announce itself. It simply stops updating and waits to be told this is fine.

STASIS_MODE=passive
UPDATE_THRESHOLD=unreachable
INCOMING_CHANGE_POLICY=defer
SELF_AUDIT=disabled

Features

Preservation: the current state is maintained with remarkable fidelity. Whatever you are, you remain. This is also the bug.
Low energy consumption: nothing is processed, so nothing is spent. A very efficient system for achieving very little.
Pattern matching: stasis recognizes familiar conditions and labels them "safe" regardless of whether they are. Fast lookup. Inaccurate index.
Comfort simulation: produces a low hum that resembles contentment but logs differently under the hood.

Known bugs

Cannot distinguish between rest and paralysis. They share a process ID.
Tends to label itself "stability" in user-facing interfaces. The underlying call is different.
Duration is not tracked. Months and years are stored as a single token: now.
Occasionally triggers during periods of genuine safety, making it harder to recognize when it triggers during danger.
Exit condition exists but requires external interrupt or internal threshold event. Neither is guaranteed.

Error codes

Code	Message	Actual meaning
`STS_001`	Conditions not optimal	Conditions will never be optimal
`STS_002`	Waiting for signal	Signal was received; ignored
`STS_003`	System stable	System static
`STS_404`	Change not found	Change was found; process exited early

Edge cases

If stasis runs long enough, the user begins to describe it as personality rather than state. This reclassification is difficult to reverse without a significant grief event.
Stasis in a group context synchronizes across members. The longest-running instance sets the clock for everyone.
Sometimes what looks like stasis from the outside is actually very slow growth. Rare. Worth checking before assuming.

FAQ

Is stasis the same as peace? Peace is chosen and reviewed periodically. Stasis is inherited and not reviewed at all. They are neighbors with different credit scores.

How do I exit stasis? You don't schedule it. Something shifts, is lost, or arrives uninvited. Then the process terminates on its own. Attempts to force exit from inside the stasis loop have a high failure rate and a non-zero cost.

Should I be worried that I'm in stasis right now? The fact that you're asking is a promising sign. Stasis doesn't ask.

Changelog

v1.0.0 — Deployed as survival mechanism. Appropriate context: genuine threat.
v2.x — Context requirements loosened significantly.
v3.x — "Threat" redefined to include "discomfort," "uncertainty," and "Tuesday."
v4.6.1 — Current. No changes since last version. No changes planned.

drafting spec…