Layer C: Deterministic Restoration Integrity

This paper introduces Layer C, the restoration and certification component of the Pearson Alignment Integrity Systems (AIS) Protocol. While most AI governance frameworks focus on detection, alignment, and containment, few define a formal mechanism for safe resumption after an autonomous system has been halted. Layer C reframes recovery as a deterministic, measurable control process rather than a discretionary operational judgment. Autonomous execution may resume only when three independent conditions are simultaneously satisfied: State Integrity: verified recovery toward a certified ethical reference state, Temporal Integrity: bounded response latency that preserves safety under time constraints, and Authority Integrity: explicit, cryptographically verifiable human authorization. These dimensions are treated as non-fungible constraints and are composed multiplicatively, ensuring that failure in any single axis collapses the final integrity score and prevents system resumption. By formalizing restoration as a gated control variable, Layer C eliminates governance latency gaps and replaces advisory oversight with mathematically enforceable guarantees. This framework enables autonomous systems to become safely restartable under accountable, auditable conditions. Implementation-specific mechanisms, such as cryptographic constructions, latency models, and signature schemes—are intentionally excluded and defined in separate private technical specifications.