Sub 5: Standalone refreshGoldenPath() orchestrator method + npm script

Parent Epic

#12065 — Sub 5 of 9. Depends on Sub 3 (orchestrator method substrate).

Premise

Per Discussion #12062 §2.9 (operator-direct workflow): operator reads sandman_handoff.md → sees top-5 weighted items → does 5 PRs → wants cheap refresh of the strategic brief without paying the full REM cycle cost. Full REM = MINUTES × N gemma calls; refresh = ~10s-1min (graph-walk + 1 interpretive LLM call). 10-60× cost asymmetry.

Currently the orchestrator's 'golden-path' cadence task bundles with the dream task via dependencies: ['dream'] — it only fires WITHIN the cadence cycle. There's no operator-invocable refresh-only path.

Prescription

New method on Orchestrator.mjs:

async refreshGoldenPath({reason}) {
    // No gemma extraction; just Hybrid GraphRAG over current graph state + 1 interpretive call
    return withHeavyMaintenanceLease(async () => {
        const remRun = this.openRemRun({runId: crypto.randomUUID(), reason, mode: 'refresh'});
        try {
            await GoldenPathSynthesizer.synthesizeGoldenPath({
                repoEnrichmentEnabled: this.goldenPathRepoEnrichmentEnabled
            });
            this.closeRemRun(remRun, 'completed');
        } catch (e) {
            this.closeRemRun(remRun, 'failed', {error: e});
            throw e;
        }
    }, {owner: 'orchestrator-golden-path-refresh', reason});
}

Add npm script ai:refresh-golden-path invoking runSandman.mjs refresh (Sub 4's mode-selector).

Acceptance Criteria

• AC1: Orchestrator.refreshGoldenPath() method shipped
• AC2: Method runs ONLY GoldenPathSynthesizer (no gemma extraction; no decay; no apoptosis)
• AC3: Method records REM run/stage state via Sub 2's substrate (mode: 'refresh' distinguishes from full cycle)
• AC4: Method honors heavy-maintenance-lease semantics (defers if another heavy task holds lease)
• AC5: npm script ai:refresh-golden-path lands (preferred operator UX; not just ai:run-sandman refresh)
• AC6: Unit + integration tests covering: refresh-only mode, refresh-during-active-dream-task (defer behavior), refresh-failure-recovery
• AC7: Documentation update at learn/agentos/ describing the cheap-refresh UX + when to use it (post-PR-merge refresh use case)

Avoided Traps

• ❌ Trigger any gemma extraction in refresh path — defeats the 10-60× cost asymmetry
• ❌ Skip lease semantics — risks concurrent graph mutation during heavy work
• ❌ Hide behind executeRemCycle({mode: 'refresh-only'}) — separate method is clearer + matches Discussion §2.9 design

Related

• Epic #12065
• Discussion #12062 §2.9 (cheap-refresh UX argument; split-and-recompose principle) + OQ2 [RESOLVED_TO_AC]
• Sub 3 (executeRemCycle peer method on same orchestrator)