diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/components/ReceiptCard.svelte b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/components/ReceiptCard.svelte
index 71ea574..afafe7f 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/components/ReceiptCard.svelte
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/components/ReceiptCard.svelte
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@
 	//  the receipt's primary memory, starting the (protected) Cinema flythrough
 	//  over the exact memory set the receipt names.
 	// ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-	import { goto } from '$app/navigation';
 	import Icon from './Icon.svelte';
 	import type { Receipt } from '$lib/stores/api';
+	import { osGoto } from '$lib/os-nav';
 
 	interface Props {
 		receipt: Receipt;
@@ -24,11 +24,20 @@
 		high: '#f43f5e'
 	};
 
+	// Hero-journey handoff: open the exact receipt in the Graph, centered on its
+	// primary memory, with the full retrieved set focused, then AUTO-LAUNCH Cinema
+	// over that evidence. Base-safe via osGoto (a bare goto('/graph') escaped the
+	// /dashboard base and 404'd); the cognitive context (memory/focus/receipt/
+	// cinema) rides the URL so the whole set survives the navigation.
 	function openInCinema() {
 		const primary = receipt.retrieved[0];
 		if (!primary) return;
-		const focus = receipt.retrieved.join(',');
-		goto(`/graph?center=${encodeURIComponent(primary)}&focus=${encodeURIComponent(focus)}`);
+		osGoto('/graph', {
+			memory: primary,
+			focus: receipt.retrieved,
+			receipt: receipt.receipt_id,
+			cinema: true
+		});
 	}
 </script>
 
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/routes/(app)/explore/+page.svelte b/apps/dashboard/src/routes/(app)/explore/+page.svelte
index a8cb2c0..214f7bf 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/routes/(app)/explore/+page.svelte
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/routes/(app)/explore/+page.svelte
@@ -52,9 +52,16 @@
 	// may apply results / clear the walking label. (GPT-5.6-sol cross-review.)
 	let loadGen = 0;
 
+	// A memory id passed from another organ (e.g. Graph's "Explore Connections")
+	// seeds the walk from THAT thought instead of re-seeding from the newest one,
+	// so the selected memory survives the Graph → Explore handoff.
+	let seedMemoryId: string | null = $state(null);
+
 	onMount(() => {
 		const params = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
 		searchQuery = params.get('q') ?? '';
+		// `memory` is the canonical cross-organ selection contract (center = legacy).
+		seedMemoryId = params.get('memory') ?? params.get('center');
 		void loadNeighbors();
 	});
 
@@ -145,13 +152,20 @@
 		// immediately alive, and every click walks onward from a real thought.
 		if (!searchQuery.trim()) {
 			try {
-				const seed = await api.memories.list({ limit: '1' });
+				// If another organ handed us a memory (?memory=<id>), seed the walk
+				// from THAT thought so the selection survives the handoff. Otherwise
+				// auto-seed from the newest memory so landing here is always alive.
+				const seedMemory = seedMemoryId
+					? await api.memories.get(seedMemoryId).catch(() => null)
+					: null;
+				const start = seedMemory ?? (await api.memories.list({ limit: '1' })).memories?.[0] ?? null;
 				if (gen !== loadGen) return; // a newer walk superseded this load
-				const newest = seed.memories?.[0];
-				if (newest?.content) {
-					searchQuery = walkQuery(newest.content);
-					centerId = newest.id;
-					seededFrom = newest.id.slice(0, 8);
+				if (start?.content) {
+					searchQuery = walkQuery(start.content);
+					centerId = start.id;
+					seededFrom = start.id.slice(0, 8);
+					// Consume the one-shot seed so a later re-walk doesn't re-pin it.
+					seedMemoryId = null;
 					// The seeded expedition must be shareable/reproducible too — a
 					// reload mid-ingest would otherwise seed from a different memory.
 					syncQueryToUrl();
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/routes/(app)/graph/+page.svelte b/apps/dashboard/src/routes/(app)/graph/+page.svelte
index c865350..686d2ff 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/routes/(app)/graph/+page.svelte
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/routes/(app)/graph/+page.svelte
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 	import { onMount } from 'svelte';
 	import { base } from '$app/paths';
+	import { osHref } from '$lib/os-nav';
 	import Graph3D from '$components/Graph3D.svelte';
 	import RetentionCurve from '$components/RetentionCurve.svelte';
 	import TimeSlider from '$components/TimeSlider.svelte';
@@ -223,14 +224,37 @@
 		if (isColorMode(requestedMode)) {
 			colorMode = requestedMode;
 		}
-		// "Open receipt in Cinema" deep-links here with ?center=<memoryId>, so
-		// the graph loads centered on the receipt's primary memory and the
-		// (protected) Cinema flythrough starts from that exact node. We do not
-		// touch MemoryCinema itself — only seed the graph it renders.
-		const center = sp.get('center');
-		void loadGraph(undefined, center || undefined);
+		// The hero journey deep-links here carrying cognitive context: ?memory=<id>
+		// (canonical; ?center= is the legacy alias) centers the graph on the
+		// receipt's primary memory, and ?cinema=1 AUTO-LAUNCHES the (protected)
+		// Cinema flythrough over that exact evidence set. We NEVER touch
+		// MemoryCinema — a Graph-owned one-shot bridge just clicks its own launch
+		// control once the graph has loaded, so the component stays untouched.
+		const center = sp.get('memory') ?? sp.get('center');
+		const autoCinema = sp.get('cinema') === '1';
+		void loadGraph(undefined, center || undefined).then(() => {
+			if (autoCinema) launchCinemaOnce();
+		});
 	});
 
+	// One-shot bridge: after the graph has real nodes, programmatically trigger
+	// the protected Cinema's own launch button exactly once. Read-only w.r.t.
+	// MemoryCinema — we click its rendered control, never import/modify its state.
+	function launchCinemaOnce() {
+		let tries = 0;
+		const timer = setInterval(() => {
+			tries += 1;
+			const btn = document.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>('.cinema-launch');
+			if (btn) {
+				btn.click();
+				clearInterval(timer);
+			} else if (tries > 40) {
+				// ~6s: nodes never materialized (empty/errored graph) — give up quietly.
+				clearInterval(timer);
+			}
+		}, 150);
+	}
+
 	function isColorMode(value: string | null): value is ColorMode {
 		return value === 'type' || value === 'state' || value === 'ahagraph';
 	}
@@ -708,9 +732,10 @@ disown</code>
 					</button>
 				</div>
 
-				<!-- Explore from this node -->
+				<!-- Explore from this node — carries the selected memory so the walk
+				     starts from THIS thought, not a re-seed from the newest memory. -->
 				<a
-					href="{base}/explore"
+					href={osHref('/explore', { memory: selectedMemory.id })}
 					class="flex items-center justify-center gap-2 px-3 py-2 rounded-xl bg-dream/10 text-dream-glow text-xs hover:bg-dream/20 transition border border-dream/20"
 				>
 					<Icon name="explore" size={14} /> Explore Connections
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/routes/+page.svelte b/apps/dashboard/src/routes/+page.svelte
index 7bec987..1925302 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/routes/+page.svelte
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/routes/+page.svelte
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 	import { goto } from '$app/navigation';
 	import { onMount } from 'svelte';
+	import { base } from '$app/paths';
+	import { HOME_ROUTE } from '$lib/os-routes';
 
-	onMount(() => goto('/graph', { replaceState: true }));
+	// The VestigeOS home is the Palace (the spatial launcher), NOT /graph. Use the
+	// base-safe path so /dashboard/ lands on /dashboard/palace — a bare
+	// goto('/graph') escapes the configured base and 404s on the deployed site.
+	onMount(() => goto(`${base}${HOME_ROUTE}`, { replaceState: true }));
 </script>