V114: Synchronization Cost as the Origin of Curvature — Reinterpreting τ_c as a Physical Primitive in a Dynamic-Update Universe

We propose a protocol-level reinterpretation of gravitational sourcing in a dynamic-update universe. Building on empirical observations showing a systematic scaling of the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck correlation time τ_c inferred from timing residuals across multiple spacecraft platforms (GPS, Juno, Cassini, New Horizons) and heliocentric distances (1–20 AU), we treat τ_c as a synchronization relaxation time—an observable measure of consistency-recovery latency in what we call the "synchronization mesh": a conceptual framework in which spacetime is continuously updated through local interactions that propagate at finite speed. Core Observational Axiom: τ_c = κ √R, κ ≃ 91 s/√AU This is equivalently expressed as a diffusion-type recovery law: τ_c² = λ (R/c), λ ≡ κ²c suggesting that synchronization recovery behaves as a random-walk accumulation over the causal propagation time R/c. Theoretical Mapping: (i) The speed of light c is not treated as a primitive "cause," but as the implementation limit of synchronization propagation. (ii) Curvature is interpreted as the geometric shadow of synchronization cost. (iii) What is conventionally called "dark" (DM/DE) may be reframed as the accumulated, non-disposable overhead of continued global synchronization and space updating.