diff --git a/docs/work/conformance-system-v1/04-ci-drift-gate/_story.md b/docs/work/conformance-system-v1/04-ci-drift-gate/_story.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..03ba9c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/work/conformance-system-v1/04-ci-drift-gate/_story.md
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+---
+id: 04-ci-drift-gate
+epic: conformance-system-v1
+title: CI drift gate — pnpm conformance with cross-feature event closure
+type: technical-story
+status: in-progress
+feature: scripts
+depends-on: [03-b-ast-eslint-rules]
+blocks: [05-generator-updates]
+---
+
+## Goal
+`pnpm conformance` aggregates cross-feature checks that no single-file
+ESLint rule can perform — most importantly, event closure: every event
+declared in any manifest's `consumes` must have at least one matching
+`publishes` somewhere in the repo.
+
+## Why
+Per-file lint can't see cross-feature contracts. Without this gate, a
+feature can declare it consumes `X` while no feature publishes `X` —
+silent until the broken handler is exercised in prod.
+
+## Done when
+- `pnpm conformance` exits 0 when manifests are consistent; non-zero
+  with a clear error message on orphan consumers
+- Wired into `turbo.json` as the `conformance` task
+- Wired into `.github/workflows/ci.yml` after `pnpm lint`
+
+## In scope
+- `scripts/conformance.mjs` — orphan-consumer check
+- Tests via vitest
+- turbo.json + CI wiring
+
+## Out of scope
+- Scaffold drift check (regenerate via `turbo gen feature`, diff against
+  on-disk state) — depends on generator updates landing
+- Repository write outside use-cases check — separate concern
+- Reverse check (orphan publishers — events nothing consumes) — many
+  events are intentionally "fire and forget"; not a closure violation
+
+## Tasks
+- [ ] Story scaffold
+- [ ] `scripts/conformance.mjs` implementation
+- [ ] Tests for the script
+- [ ] Wire into root package.json + turbo.json
+- [ ] Wire into ci.yml
+- [ ] Final verification + closeout