Operating Nika workflows

Authoring makes a file pass nika check. Operating makes it safe to run unattended: bounded spend, a declared blast radius, masked credentials, a model you chose, and a journal you can export.

Spend (the envelope is part of the contract)

• nika check <file> prints the cost BEFORE any token: ≤ $X is a ceiling · ≥ $X FLOOR means at least one task is unbounded — fix the reason (a missing max_tokens, an uncataloged model, an expression fan-out), never ship a floor to production.
• Cap the run: nika run <file> --max-cost-usd <n> blocks BEFORE the call that would cross the cap.
• A local model is unpriced compute, not free — say "unpriced", never "$0".

Permits (the boundary is mandatory)