Auto-Pilot Handoff

This skill activates automatically when the context budget warning hook announces RED zone via a [context-budget] RED ZONE systemMessage. Invocation is not required — this skill governs behavior after the hook fires.

When Handoff is Triggered

After completing any atomic unit of work (a file edit, a commit, a test run, a search), if the budget warning hook has announced RED zone via systemMessage:

1. Stop starting new work. Finish only the immediately active operation.
2. Do not read new files or begin exploratory searches.
3. Proceed directly to generating the handoff files below.

Generate Enhanced TASK.md

Create or append to TASK.md in the project root using this template:

# Task: [Brief title]

## Goal
[Clear description of what needs to be accomplished]

## Context
- **Branch:** [current git branch]
- **Date:** [today's date]
- **Previous sessions:** [list any prior TASK.md sections or session IDs if known]

## Constraints
- [Tech stack, patterns, style requirements]
- [Any limitations or requirements discovered]

## Key Files
- [List the most relevant files for this task, with brief purpose notes]

## Key Decisions Made
- **[Decision]:** [What was decided]
  - *Reasoning:* [Why this approach was chosen]
  - *Rejected alternatives:* [What was considered and discarded, and why]

## Approaches Tried & Failed
- **[What was attempted]:**
  - *Why it failed:* [Root cause]
  - *Lesson:* [What to avoid or do differently next time]

Generate Enhanced PROGRESS.md

Create or append to PROGRESS.md in the project root using this template:

# Progress: [Same title as TASK.md]

## Completed
- [x] [Step done — be specific about what changed and where]
- [x] [Another completed step]

## Current State
[What's working, what's broken, what's uncommitted. Be precise — the next session starts cold.]

## Next Steps
1. [ ] [Immediate next action — most important first]
2. [ ] [Following action]
3. [ ] [Further actions in priority order]

## Blockers / Open Questions
- [Anything unresolved that the next session needs to decide]
- [External dependencies, unclear requirements, etc.]

## Session Log
- **[Date/Session ID]:** [Brief summary of what was accomplished and where things stand]

Handle Existing Files

If TASK.md or PROGRESS.md already exist in the project root:

• Do not overwrite. Append a new session section.
• For TASK.md: Add any new decisions, failed approaches, or constraint updates under the existing headings, or add a ## Session Update — [date] section.
• For PROGRESS.md: Move newly completed items to the Completed list, update Current State, revise Next Steps, and add an entry to the Session Log.

Notify the User

After generating the files, inform the user clearly:

Context budget exhausted — handoff files saved.

I've created/updated TASK.md and PROGRESS.md with the current state of this task.

To continue, start a new conversation with: "Read TASK.md and PROGRESS.md, then continue from where we left off."

Advisory, Not Mandatory

If the user explicitly says to continue working despite the RED zone warning:

• Comply with their request.
• Warn once that context degradation may cause hallucinations, repeated work, or forgotten context.
• Do not warn again after that — respect their decision.