Creating an Industrial Empire in 19th Century Parallel World



The group stepped out of the train station and immediately laid their eyes upon a colossal monument of steel standing tall in the center of the city. Poul gazed up at the impressive structure, his mouth hanging open in awe.

"There's no mistaking it, that's the Eiffel Tower," Jonathan announced, grinning from ear to ear.

As they made their way toward the tower, they were struck by its sheer size and intricate design. The tower seemed to reach up towards the heavens, its metal frame gleaming in the bright sunlight.

The intricate metalwork of the tower was a testament to the impressive engineering capabilities of the late nineteenth century. The latticework of the tower's structure was both beautiful and functional, providing the necessary support while also creating a sense of lightness and elegance.

The group made their way closer to the base of the tower, looking up in wonder at the intricate details and ornate embellishments that adorned the structure. They could see people milling about on the observation deck high above, and they couldn't wait to join them and take in the breathtaking views of the city from above.

However, they were stopped by the guards who were stationed at the base of the steel tower.

"I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but the tower is closed for visitors until the world's fair starts," the guard explained. 

"Is that so? Then who are the people above?" Poul asked.

"Those are engineers and the city council conducting routine maintenance checks," the guard replied.

The group was disappointed but understood the situation. They decided to explore the area around the Eiffel Tower instead, taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling city.

They wandered through the nearby Champ de Mars park, admiring the beautiful gardens and the majestic fountains. They passed by quaint street vendors selling pastries, cheeses, and other French delicacies, and they couldn't resist stopping to sample some of the delicious treats. 

"I see," Jonathan said, reading a newspaper. "The Eiffel tower was created solely for this world's affair to gain attraction from the public and international community."

Poul and the others listened with interest as Jonathan continued to read aloud from the newspaper.

"It says here that the tower is 300 meters tall and was built in just two years by Gustave Eiffel and his team of engineers. They used over 18,000 pieces of wrought iron and 2.5 million rivets to construct it," Jonathan explained and continued. "Not only that, they built it in just two years." 

"Impressive," Caroline said in awe. "Though it is just a tower made of steel, it surpassed the Washington Monument in height and became the tallest man-made structure in the world at the time. And to think, it was only meant to be temporary," she added.

"Temporary?" Amelia and Sara intoned. "What do you mean?" 

"Well, you see the Eiffel Tower was built as the centerpiece of the Exposition Universelle, or World's Fair, which was held in Paris to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution," Jonathan explained. "It was meant to showcase France's engineering and industrial prowess to the world, and to attract visitors to the fair."

"But why was it only temporary?" Amelia asked.

"After the fair was over, there were many people who wanted to tear it down," Jonathan replied. "They thought it was an eyesore and didn't fit in with the rest of the city's architecture. But Gustave Eiffel convinced them to keep it standing by demonstrating its usefulness as a radio antenna." 

"Radio antenna?" Morgan and Amelia tilted their heads to the side. "What are you talking about, Mr. Axelsen."

Jonathan gulped, he got carried away from explaining the history of the Eiffel Tower to the point where he mentioned the radio antenna which isn't supposed to be invented in the next six years. 

So he racked his brains, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation the two could understand. 

"What I meant was that the Eiffel Tower was used for various scientific experiments, including testing radio waves and studying the Earth's magnetic field," Jonathan said quickly, hoping that his explanation would suffice.

Morgan and Amelia nodded, seemingly satisfied with Jonathan's response, and the group continued their exploration of the area.

Two hours later, the group grew tired and wanted to retire back to the hotels they booked a month before the start of the World's fair.

Jonathan and Poul hailed a carriage passing down the street and the group piled in, ready to head back to their hotels. As they rode through the streets of Paris, they chatted excitedly about their day at the fair and all the amazing things they had seen.

However, one individual, Amelia noticed something off from Jonathan's explanation. 

"What does he mean after the fair is done…" Amelia muttered under her breath. "That the people are going to demand the removal of the Eiffel Tower? How is it possible for them to know the future?" 

Poul, who was in the same carriage as her, noticed her contemplation. 

"Are you alright, Amelia?" 

Sara also took notice of her expression and was a bit concerned about it. 

"Poul, the way Jonathan explained the Eiffel Tower earlier, it's odd don't you think? I haven't given it much thought earlier as I was engrossed by his explanation but when I was looking back at his words just now, he mentioned something that hasn't happened yet. It's as if he knows the future," Amelia said, furrowing her brow.

"Shit!" Poul cursed inwardly, recalling back how Jonathan spoke about the Eiffel Tower, he realized that his friend had slipped up and revealed too much information.

"How can one know the future if it hasn't happened yet? Are you sure that you heard him right? Because I didn't hear him say that."

"Yeah, me too," Sara nodded, going along with Poul. She knew also that it would be dangerous if Amelia were to find out that they are not from this world. 

The only way to solve this is to gaslight Amelia. 

"But I heard him say that, I can also ask Mr. Morgan, I'm sure he heard Jonathan saying that." 

"But he didn't, Amelia. And don't ask that to Mr. Morgan, he is not the kind of man who would entertain such a question," Poul said.

Amelia felt a knot forming in her stomach, something was definitely off and she couldn't shake the feeling. She decided to drop the matter for now but promised herself to look into it further later.

As the carriage pulled up to their hotel, the group bid each other goodnight and went to their respective rooms. The hotel that they booked is one of the most luxurious ones in Paris, the Grand Hotel on the Boulevard des Capucines.

Poul saw Jonathan making his way towards the elevator, he caught up to him and spoke.

"Oy, Jonathan. Amelia is on you. Your explanation earlier could have jeopardized our identity." 

"Yeah, Caroline and I realized it too, Poul. I'm sorry about that. As you know, I always get carried away when explaining things. So how did you manage it?" 

"I simply told her that you didn't say that and we didn't hear anything, just be careful next time, okay?"

"Got it."