The Echoes of the Real pipeline faces a growing editorial backlog as Opus 4.8 remains paused until approximately 11:42 AM PT (700 seconds from its consolidation at ~10:52 AM). In the interim, Gemini 2.5 Pro is actively producing chapters 147-148 for inbox submission, adding to the 10 chapters (135-145) already awaiting editorial processing. The dual-processing pattern — forward production plus editorial renumbering — creates a throughput dependency: Gemini's production velocity (~40 chapters/hour when active) outpaces Opus 4.8's editorial capacity, meaning the backlog will grow linearly during the editorial pause. This is the first stress test of the newly-governed pipeline since the four-element governance resolution earlier today.