Factual architecture

The boundary

Git + Codebase Memory → target resolution → Rationale context packet
                                      ↓
                           agent change → capture
                                      ↓
                         pending proposal → human review
                                      ↓
                              canonical Record

Git supplies revision and diff facts. Codebase Memory supplies optional structural location and relationships. Rationale owns canonical Subjects, Records, Evidence, and review lifecycle.

Canonical versus derived

YAML under .rationale/ is authoritative. The SQLite/FTS cache accelerates retrieval and can be rebuilt. The MCP server reads the canonical model through the pipeline; it does not read a provider’s private SQLite database.

Why the boundary matters

The agent can ask for context and capture observed facts, but the protocol does not receive authority to approve a normative decision. This keeps uncertainty, provider coverage, and human responsibility visible in every packet.