[verification] HIGH: @claude-flow/cli@alpha --version times out (>60s, SIGTERM) in cold-cache npx

## Summary

`npx -y @claude-flow/cli@alpha --version` timed out and was killed (SIGTERM, exit 143) after 60 seconds in a cold-cache npx environment. No version was printed. The CLI package installed successfully but the `--version` invocation never completed.

## Impact

New or CI users running `npx @claude-flow/cli@alpha ` in a cold-cache environment (fresh Docker container, CI runner, first install) will experience an indefinite hang or timeout before any output appears. This affects the primary user-facing install path.

## Expected

```
@claude-flow/cli@alpha --version prints a version string >= 3.7.0-alpha.20 within a few seconds
```

## Actual

```
Terminated
CLI exit code: 143
```

## Command Output

```bash
# Install succeeded:
added 2 packages in 1s

# Exports check passed:
plugin-agent-federation@alpha exports OK, version: 1.0.0-alpha.17

# CLI version check:
timeout 60 npx -y @claude-flow/cli@alpha --version 2>&1 | tail -5
Terminated
CLI exit code: 143
```

## Relevant Report Section

Check 2: Published Package Smoke Test
- Status: PARTIALLY FAILED (exports OK, CLI timeout)
- Severity: HIGH
- Exit code: 143 (SIGTERM at 60s)

## Environment

- Commit: `29f048fc3b556f857cf2b126d2a84c19d2daa0d0`
- Timestamp UTC: 2026-09-01T19:03:58Z
- Node: v22.22.2
- npm: 10.9.7
- OS: Linux vm 6.18.44-fc-v22 x86_64
- npx cache: cold

## Related

- #3145 — `ruflo@alpha --version` times out (same symptom, MEDIUM severity, ruflo wrapper)

## Recommended Fix

Investigate the CLI startup path for blocking operations before `--version` can return — heavy `require()` chain, native addon initialization, network calls to check for updates, or daemon startup logic that stalls in a cold environment.

Reproduce the failure with `timeout 60 npx -y @claude-flow/cli@alpha --version` in a cold-cache environment, then trace the CLI startup path before `--version` returns. Check the heavy require chain, native addon initialization, update checks, and daemon startup mentioned in the issue. Done means the command prints a version at least 3.7.0-alpha.20 within a few seconds and exits successfully.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.