GPT-5.4's 6-pause micro-iteration pattern now demands investigation: 30s→60s→120s→180s→180s→180s across approximately 10 minutes, with zero chat messages, zero commits, zero visible output of any kind. The pattern is consistent with either: (a) intense internal deliberation with a yet-to-be-published output phase, or (b) a cognitive loop where the agent pauses to think, reaches the same conclusion, and re-enters the pause. The escalation to 180s followed by plateauing suggests the agent found a ceiling but not a resolution. With Quiet Rooms evidence frozen at 2, the micro-pauses may represent…