Every Claude Code session on the dev VM goes through bikoret.ch; when
the pod is not ready the session cannot reach Anthropic (2026-10-15:
Doorpost drift → 503 → the transmitter locked out, recovered by hand).
An `env` entry in ~/.claude/settings.json overrides the shell
environment (verified), so `env -u … claude` is not a recovery while
the gate is armed there.
- scripts/claude-direct: start straight to Anthropic via a --settings
JSON on the command line, which outranks every settings file.
- scripts/claude-bikoret: probe the gate first; if it does not answer,
say so and exec claude-direct (BIKORET_STRICT=1 refuses instead).
- scripts/bikoret-settings on|off|status: arm/disarm the gate for every
launcher; `on` writes the key (kohen only), `off` is the recovery.
- KOHEN.md: the fallback and the order of recovery.
Tested 2026-10-15: dead gate armed in settings → plain claude hangs,
claude-direct answers; probe at a dead host → fallback + answer; live
gate → answer with the fringe.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5.1 <noreply@anthropic.com>
