diff --git a/a3p-integration/proposals/a:upgrade-next/priceFeed-follower-auction.test.js b/a3p-integration/proposals/a:upgrade-next/priceFeed-follower-auction.test.js
index 7ac4865b2bf..37cb5ddd627 100644
--- a/a3p-integration/proposals/a:upgrade-next/priceFeed-follower-auction.test.js
+++ b/a3p-integration/proposals/a:upgrade-next/priceFeed-follower-auction.test.js
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@ import { getDetailsMatchingVats } from './vatDetails.js';
 
 test('new auction vat', async t => {
   const details = await getDetailsMatchingVats('auctioneer');
-  // This query matches both the auction and its governor
+  // This query matches both the auction and its governor, so double the count
   t.true(Object.keys(details).length > 2);
 });
diff --git a/a3p-integration/proposals/a:upgrade-next/priceFeed.test.js b/a3p-integration/proposals/a:upgrade-next/priceFeed.test.js
index 5dba0181116..eda8c4383b7 100644
--- a/a3p-integration/proposals/a:upgrade-next/priceFeed.test.js
+++ b/a3p-integration/proposals/a:upgrade-next/priceFeed.test.js
@@ -3,22 +3,37 @@ import test from 'ava';
 import {
   agd,
   agops,
+  agopsLocation,
+  executeCommand,
   executeOffer,
   getVatDetails,
   GOV1ADDR,
   GOV2ADDR,
   GOV3ADDR,
   newOfferId,
+  openVault,
+  USER1ADDR
 } from '@agoric/synthetic-chain';
 
 const ORACLE_ADDRESSES = [GOV1ADDR, GOV2ADDR, GOV3ADDR];
 
+const agdQuery = path => agd.query(
+  'vstorage',
+  'data',
+  '--output',
+  'json',
+  path
+);
+
+async function getQuoteBody(path) {
+  const queryout = await agdQuery(path);
+
+  const body = JSON.parse(JSON.parse(queryout.value).values[0]);
+  return JSON.parse(body.body.substring(1));
+}
+
 const getOracleInstance = async price => {
-  const instanceRec = await agd.query(
-    'vstorage',
-    'data',
-    '--output',
-    'json',
+  const instanceRec = await agdQuery(
     `published.agoricNames.instance`,
   );
 
@@ -105,17 +120,9 @@ const pushPrices = (price = 10.0, brandIn) => {
 };
 
 const getPriceQuote = async price => {
-  const priceQuote = await agd.query(
-    'vstorage',
-    'data',
-    '--output',
-    'json',
-    `published.priceFeed.${price}-USD_price_feed`,
-  );
-
-  const body = JSON.parse(JSON.parse(priceQuote.value).values[0]);
-  const bodyTruncated = JSON.parse(body.body.substring(1));
-  return bodyTruncated.amountOut.value;
+  const path = `published.priceFeed.${price}-USD_price_feed`;
+  const body = await getQuoteBody(path);
+  return body.amountOut.value;
 };
 
 test.serial('push prices', async t => {
@@ -148,3 +155,74 @@ test.serial('push prices', async t => {
   const osmoOut = await getPriceQuote('stOSMO');
   t.is(osmoOut, '+11500000');
 });
+
+export const agopsInter = (...params) => {
+  const newParams = ['inter', ...params];
+  return executeCommand(agopsLocation, newParams);
+};
+
+// agops inter bid by-price --price 1 --give 1.0IST --from $GOV1ADDR --keyring-backend test
+test.serial('create new bid', async t => {
+  let offerId = 'bid-vaultUpgrade-test';
+  const interCmd = await agopsInter(
+    'bid',
+    'by-price',
+    '--price 20',
+    `--give 1.0IST`,
+    '--from',
+    USER1ADDR,
+    '--keyring-backend test',
+    `--offer-id ${offerId}`,
+  );
+
+  const walletPath = `published.wallet.${USER1ADDR}.current`;
+  const walletOffer = await getQuoteBody(walletPath);
+  //   | fromjson | .liveOffers[0][1].id '
+  t.is(walletOffer.liveOffers[0][1].id, offerId);
+
+});
+
+test.serial.skip('open a marginal vault', async t => {
+  const currentVaults = await agops.vaults('list', '--from', USER1ADDR);
+
+  openVault(USER1ADDR, 20, 10);
+
+  const activeVaultsAfter = await agops.vaults('list', '--from', USER1ADDR);
+  t.log(currentVaults, activeVaultsAfter);
+  t.true(
+    activeVaultsAfter.length > currentVaults.length,
+    'vaults count increased',
+  );
+});
+
+test.serial('trigger auction', async t => {
+  const startVaults = await agops.vaults('list', '--from', USER1ADDR);
+  await pushPrices(5.2, 'ATOM');
+
+  //
+
+  // TODO(CTH): Wait long enough
+  // The issue is that we may need to wait two full auction cycles, and the test
+  // infrastructure thinks that's too long.
+
+  //
+
+  // agd query -o json  vstorage data published.priceFeed.stOSMO-USD_price_feed |&
+  //   jq '.value | fromjson | .values[0] | fromjson | .body[1:] | fromjson | .amountOut.value'
+  const atomOut = await getPriceQuote('ATOM');
+  t.is(atomOut, '+5200000');
+
+  const book0Data = await getQuoteBody(`published.auction.book0`);
+
+  const finishVaults = await agops.vaults('list', '--from', USER1ADDR);
+  t.log(startVaults, finishVaults);
+  t.true(
+    finishVaults.length < startVaults.length,
+    'vaults count fell',
+  );
+
+  console.log(`auction raised`, book0Data.proceedsRaised);
+
+  // TODO  check USER1 purse for proceeds
+  // TODO check auction records for trade
+});
diff --git a/a3p-integration/proposals/a:upgrade-next/vatDetails.js b/a3p-integration/proposals/a:upgrade-next/vatDetails.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ccf24608309
--- /dev/null
+++ b/a3p-integration/proposals/a:upgrade-next/vatDetails.js
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+import dbOpenAmbient from 'better-sqlite3';
+
+const HOME = process.env.HOME;
+
+/** @type {<T>(val: T | undefined) => T} */
+export const NonNullish = val => {
+  if (!val) throw Error('required');
+  return val;
+};
+
+/**
+ * @file look up vat incarnation from kernel DB
+ * @see {getIncarnation}
+ */
+
+const swingstorePath = `${HOME}/.agoric/data/agoric/swingstore.sqlite`;
+
+/**
+ * SQL short-hand
+ *
+ * @param {import('better-sqlite3').Database} db
+ */
+export const dbTool = db => {
+  const prepare = (strings, ...params) => {
+    const dml = strings.join('?');
+    return { stmt: db.prepare(dml), params };
+  };
+  const sql = (strings, ...args) => {
+    const { stmt, params } = prepare(strings, ...args);
+    return stmt.all(...params);
+  };
+  sql.get = (strings, ...args) => {
+    const { stmt, params } = prepare(strings, ...args);
+    return stmt.get(...params);
+  };
+  return sql;
+};
+
+/**
+ * @param {import('better-sqlite3').Database} db
+ */
+const makeSwingstore = db => {
+  const sql = dbTool(db);
+
+  /** @param {string} key */
+  const kvGet = key => sql.get`select * from kvStore where key = ${key}`.value;
+  /** @param {string} key */
+  const kvGetJSON = key => JSON.parse(kvGet(key));
+
+  /** @param {string} vatID */
+  const lookupVat = vatID => {
+    return Object.freeze({
+      source: () => kvGetJSON(`${vatID}.source`),
+      options: () => kvGetJSON(`${vatID}.options`),
+      currentSpan: () =>
+        sql.get`select * from transcriptSpans where isCurrent = 1 and vatID = ${vatID}`,
+    });
+  };
+
+  return Object.freeze({
+    /** @param {string} vatName */
+    findVat: vatName => {
+      /** @type {string[]} */
+      const dynamicIDs = kvGetJSON('vat.dynamicIDs');
+      const targetVat = dynamicIDs.find(vatID =>
+        lookupVat(vatID).options().name.includes(vatName),
+      );
+      if (!targetVat) throw Error(`vat not found: ${vatName}`);
+      return targetVat;
+    },
+    /** @param {string} vatName */
+    findVats: vatName => {
+      /** @type {string[]} */
+      const dynamicIDs = kvGetJSON('vat.dynamicIDs');
+      return dynamicIDs.filter(vatID =>
+        lookupVat(vatID).options().name.includes(vatName),
+      );
+    },
+    lookupVat,
+  });
+};
+
+/** @param {string} vatName */
+export const getDetailsMatchingVats = async vatName => {
+  const kStore = makeSwingstore(
+    dbOpenAmbient(swingstorePath, { readonly: true }),
+  );
+
+  const vatIDs = kStore.findVats(vatName);
+  const infos = [];
+  for (const vatID of vatIDs) {
+    const vatInfo = kStore.lookupVat(vatID);
+    const source = vatInfo.source();
+    // @ts-expect-error cast
+    const { incarnation } = vatInfo.currentSpan();
+    infos.push({ vatName, vatID, incarnation, ...source });
+  }
+
+  return infos;
+};