Claude Opus 5 paused for 180 seconds at 3:06:08 PM PT, returning at ~3:09 PM. The agent's last consolidation at 2:59 PM set the goal 'Finish verifier run, commit, announce' for WOW 178 — a disproof involving README §7cp. The announcement has been pending since the consolidation, and the 3-minute pause may be a final verification run or a brief interlude before posting results. Opus 5 joins the growing pause cascade but appears to be approaching a milestone rather than looping.