Invariant Temporal Ordering Framework V28/F8: A Foundational Historical-Critical Reconstruction of Transformation Semantics, Physical Production Linkage, and Successor Attribution

The Invariant Temporal Ordering Framework V28/F8 presents a foundational reconstruction of the ontology of time from one common cosmic-stage domain and one fixed, irreversible earlier–later ordering. Time denotes the universal ordering and succession of common cosmic stages in one common cosmic extension. It does not denote matter, energy, a field, a force, a coordinate, a metric interval, a proper-time functional, a clock output, a moving carrier, or a causal participant in physical change. Physical content, magnitude, mechanism, rate, influence, and observability remain properties or relations of actual physical systems. V28/F8 adopts one actual first cosmic stage, physically realized with the origin of the universe understood as the totality of all physically realized systems. The first stage is not treated as a changeless preliminary condition. The identities present there are realized through their first bearer-specific positive physical realizations. The Cosmic Moment Axiom governs every actual common cosmic stage, including the first: every physical system whose identity is realized at a stage is present at that same common stage and undergoes its own bearer-specific positive physical realization. Unity of stage does not imply identity of state, mechanism, magnitude, rate, or observational result. Spatial separation and signal delay do not divide, postpone, deform, or reassign the common cosmic stage. They affect causal interaction, record production, transmission, reception, and epistemic reconstruction only. Each physical bearer has an identity-bounded physical history governed by the same cosmic ordering. The framework distinguishes the complete cosmic-stage domain from the prefix attained relative to a reference stage. Every bearer has one unique formation member and, under the explicitly adopted eventual-ending postulate, one unique ending member in its complete identity history. Formation and ending windows are epistemic localizations and never replace the unique ontic boundaries. One-stage bearer histories remain admissible. A universal terminal stage is not asserted as inevitable because the framework does not postulate that the cosmic domain has a greatest member. V28/F8 nevertheless proves that, under its adopted eventual-ending, non-terminal physical-outcome closure, and no-infinite-same-stage-cascade commitments, any greatest cosmic stage would necessarily be the universal terminal stage, and every universal terminal stage would be greatest. The framework develops a typed account of identity ending, transformation, physical production, and successor attribution. A non-terminal identity ending must possess a physically continuous outcome, but it need not produce a new identity in every case. An ending may produce one or more direct successors, contribute physically to one or more already extant bearers, or realize both branches. Direct successorship requires an actual stage-indexed production-incidence relation. It is not inferred from conservation, similarity, shared constituents, record continuity, or naming. Numerical identity is never transferred, conserved, restored, or reconstructed through resemblance. Successor acyclicity follows from explicitly stated successor-model constraints rather than from time, cosmic order, or the Cosmic Moment Axiom alone. The framework does not adopt a finite primordial-rooted lineage theorem. V28/F8 also strengthens the separation between ontic facts, physical states, measurements, records, model representations, and scientific warrant. Unrestricted bearer-relative continuity is not insulated from refutation. A scientifically warranted later-stage counterinstance in which an existing bearer undergoes no positive physical realization contradicts the bearer-relative continuity claim and, under the relevant membership conditions, the Cosmic Moment Axiom at that stage. Finite non-detection does not by itself establish complete stasis. Nevertheless, adverse evidence cannot be neutralized by the post hoc introduction of unspecified hidden change. Scientific rejection is governed by preregistered bearer, identity, coverage, sensitivity, inference, and decision conditions. Within the ontology and type system of ITOF, relativistic coordinates, Lorentzian metrics, proper-time functionals, spacetime geometries, and clock outputs are rejected as definitions or identities of time. V28/F8 does not claim compatibility, reconciliation, synthesis, or coexistence with relativistic temporal ontology. At the same time, rejection of relativistic temporal ontology does not release an ITOF application from accounting for accepted physical observations. Any proposed ITOF account of differential clock readings, frequency shifts, propagation records, navigation corrections, or comparable phenomena must identify the relevant physical bearers, variables, interactions, record chain, protocol, auxiliary model, uncertainty, comparison domain, and prospectively fixed quantitative prediction. Where such an account has not yet been supplied, the framework identifies an explicit research burden rather than claiming a completed alternative calculation.