He had no illusions. If Steenberg and his ilk ever figured out who they were, things would get ugly.
Institutional Retaliation
Governments wouldn’t negotiate with them.
They would be debanked, blacklisted, maybe even arrested.
Operation Choke Point 2.0 had been bad enough. But this? This would make those actions look mild.
Legal Invisibility Would Vanish
As of now, these people were normal citizens.
The moment they joined Pegged, they became permanent fugitives from financial authorities.
Could he ask someone to give up their safety, their career, their life for something that might not even succeed?
Personal Risks
Surveillance. Coercion. Family pressure.
Not everyone could live with the constant fear of a knock on the door at 3 AM.
Some would crack. Some would regret it. Some might even turn against him to save themselves.
Alias took a sip of wine, his jaw tightening.
These risks weren’t theoretical. They were inevitable.
