A thing handle τ is a persistent external index that refers to a thing in the Interactive Semioverse. A handle is not an element of the Heyting algebra H — it lives outside the semantic domain and participates only through interaction terms. The set of all handles is denoted Thing.
Each handle has a semantic seed η(τ) ∈ H, which is the only point where the handle touches semantics directly. Everything else — the thing’s interaction surface, thing fragment, and footprint — is mediated through interaction terms and closure. This indirection ensures that a thing is never identified with a single semantic value; it is known only through its semiotic interactions.
Handles support co-reference: a symmetric relation τ ≈ τ’ indicates that two handles refer to the same thing, requiring η(τ) = η(τ’). Co-referring handles form a groupoid, and transport along co-reference preserves interaction term interpretation within any fragment containing the relevant seeds.