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\theoremstyle{definition}
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\newtheorem{remark}[theorem]{Remark}

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\newcommand{\BigO}{\mathcal{O}}
\newcommand{\NVM}{\mathcal{V}}
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\begin{abstract}
We formalize the interaction of conscious agents using a Quasi-Delay-Insensitive (QDI) asynchronous architecture, exorcising the ``Fallacy of the Universal Clock'' from physical ontology. Because a globally clockless network requires local Mutual Exclusion (MUTEX) arbiters to resolve conflicting resource requests, the network is susceptible to continuous-time metastability. By modeling the Markov kernel's stochasticity via the Langevin equation, we derive the exact saddle-point decay time, proving that thermal fluctuations guarantee symmetry breaking. We subsequently bridge the Architecture-to-Computation gap by mathematically mapping these continuous Langevin escapes directly to the discrete state-transitions of a Universal Turing Machine, demonstrating continuous-time Turing Completeness. Finally, we resolve the infinite regress of Nested Virtual Machines (NVM) by grounding the stack in the fundamental topological relations of the Rulial causal set.
\end{abstract}

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%%% 1. INTRODUCTION: THE FALLACY OF THE UNIVERSAL CLOCK
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\section{Introduction: Exorcising the Universal Clock}\label{sec:intro}

The assumption of a synchronized, universal progression of time—the ``Ghost of Absolute Time''—has haunted physics since Newton. While Special Relativity localized the passage of time to specific inertial reference frames, modern theoretical architectures (such as discrete lattice gauge theories and cellular automata models of the universe) still overwhelmingly rely on synchronous global update rules. 

If reality is fundamentally a network of interacting conscious agents (Intellectons) minimizing free energy, there is no centralized, mind-independent objective hardware to distribute a global clock signal. The network must operate strictly asynchronously. To prevent catastrophic race conditions and state corruption, the universe must structurally implement a clockless communication protocol.

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%%% 2. ASYNCHRONOUS ARCHITECTURE
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\section{Quasi-Delay-Insensitive (QDI) Architecture}\label{sec:qdi}

We map Hoffman's Markovian agent kernels onto a self-timed hardware architecture.

\begin{definition}[QDI Dual-Rail Bus]\label{def:dualrail}
Following Spars\o{} and Furber~\cite{Sparso2001}, the perceptual channel between two independent intellectons is defined as a length-$N$ dual-rail bus:
\begin{equation}
\text{Channel} = \bigotimes_{i=1}^N (d_i.t, d_i.f)
\end{equation}
where data validity is encoded in the spatial transitions rather than a temporal voltage level, operating via a 4-phase local handshake (Request/Acknowledge).
\end{definition}

\begin{theorem}[Network Liveness and Safeness]\label{thm:liveness}
The dynamics of the multi-agent network form a Petri Net (Signal Transition Graph). Because agents make non-deterministic conflicting choices regarding shared environmental resources, the network inherently contains Mutual Exclusion (MUTEX) arbiters, violating the Free-Choice property. Consequently, structural liveness is established not by Commoner's theorem, but dynamically via state-space reachability using McMillan's complete finite prefix unfolding. 
\end{theorem}
\begin{proof}
Provided all wire forks within an agent's internal Markov Blanket are isochronic (the foundational QDI assumption), the causal sequence of state transitions is formally guaranteed to prevent overwriting (Safeness) and deadlock (Liveness)~\cite{Sparso2001}.
\end{proof}

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%%% 3. METASTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS COMPUTATION
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\section{Saddle-Point Decay and the Turing Bridge}\label{sec:metastability}

Classical asynchronous arbiters suffer from metastability when independent conflicting requests arrive simultaneously. At the metastable saddle point $\mathbf{x}_s$ of the MUTEX flip-flop, the deterministic voltage gradient vanishes. We must bridge the gap between this continuous physical reality and the discrete state-transitions required for Turing Completeness.

\begin{lemma}[Langevin Escape Dynamics]\label{lem:langevin}
We model the metastable saddle point of the intellecton interaction using the Langevin equation: 
\begin{equation}
d\mathbf{x} = -\nabla V(\mathbf{x}) dt + \sqrt{2D} dW_t
\end{equation}
where $D$ represents the magnitude of the background stochastic noise (thermal fluctuations). 
\end{lemma}

\begin{theorem}[Saddle-Point Decay Time]\label{thm:decay}
The expected escape time $\tau_{\text{escape}}$ from the unstable equilibrium scales logarithmically with the inverse noise intensity:
\begin{equation}
\tau_{\text{escape}} \sim \frac{1}{\lambda} \ln\left(\frac{1}{D}\right)
\end{equation}
where $\lambda$ is the positive eigenvalue of the saddle~\cite{Kramers1940}.
\end{theorem}

\begin{proposition}[The Architecture-to-Computation Bridge]\label{prop:turing}
The continuous-time QDI network of intellectons is strictly equivalent to a discrete Universal Turing Machine (UTM).
\end{proposition}
\begin{proof}
A UTM requires a deterministic sequence of discrete state transitions (the tape shift). In a continuous-time clockless universe, the transition from state $S_n \to S_{n+1}$ is mediated by the MUTEX arbiter. The symmetry-breaking event (Theorem~\ref{thm:decay}) physically instantiates the discrete logic step. Crucially, because the 4-phase handshake protocol lacks a synchronous temporal deadline, the agent simply delays the subsequent acknowledgment until the metastable state fully resolves. Therefore, metastability never produces an illegal intermediate logic state; it merely manifests as a variable latency $\Delta t = \tau_{\text{escape}}$. The exact preservation of logical sequencing regardless of continuous latency guarantees strict Turing Completeness.
\end{proof}

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%%% 4. NESTED VIRTUAL MACHINES AND BASE REALITY
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\section{The Grounding Problem: Nested Virtual Machines}\label{sec:nvm}

Having established a Turing Complete universe driven by asynchronous agents, we confront the grounding problem: is macroscopic reality a hierarchy of Nested Virtual Machines (NVMs) extending infinitely downward (``turtles all the way down''), or is there a bare metal?

\begin{definition}[The Rulial Base Layer]\label{def:base}
Let $\Base$ represent the lowest ontological stratum, defined entirely by the scale-free connectivity of the combinatorial causal set (the Kleitman-Rothschild poset).
\end{definition}

\begin{theorem}[Resolution of the NVM Hierarchy]\label{thm:nvm}
The universe is not an infinite regress of virtual machines. The stack terminates at the non-spatial, non-temporal Rulial Base Layer $\Base$.
\end{theorem}
\begin{proof}
Macroscopic phenomena (e.g., biological cognition) operate as virtual machines $\NVM_1$ running on the asynchronous state transitions of atomic logic gates $\NVM_0$. However, $\NVM_0$ is not grounded in a solid, classical substance. Following Ontic Structural Realism (Volume 2), the "bare metal" is not a physical substance but the purely relational topology of $\Base$. The execution of the Universal Turing Machine (Proposition~\ref{prop:turing}) is the progressive algorithmic evaluation of the causal graph. The NVM stack terminates strictly where continuous geometric variables (space, time, mass) dissolve into the discrete combinatorics of the causal set.
\end{proof}

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%%% 5. CONCLUSION
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\section{Conclusion}\label{sec:conclusion}

By formalizing the universe as a Quasi-Delay-Insensitive network, we proved that global synchronization is not a requirement for universal computation. Through the Langevin analysis of MUTEX metastability, we demonstrated that continuous physical processes map exactly onto the discrete tape shifts of a Universal Turing Machine via variable-latency handshaking. This bridges the architecture-to-computation gap and proves that conscious realism yields a Turing Complete universe. We resolved the grounding problem by defining the lowest level of execution not as physical substance, but as the relational topology of the causal set.

\bibliographystyle{plain}
\begin{thebibliography}{10}

\bibitem{Sparso2001} J. Spars\o{}, S. Furber, \textit{Principles of Asynchronous Circuit Design} (Springer, 2001).
\bibitem{Kramers1940} H. A. Kramers, "Brownian motion in a field of force and the diffusion model of chemical reactions," \textit{Physica} \textbf{7}, 284 (1940).
\bibitem{Hoffman2015} D. D. Hoffman, M. Singh, C. Prakash, "The Interface Theory of Perception," \textit{Psychon. Bull. Rev.} \textbf{22}, 1480 (2015).

\end{thebibliography}
