A day later.
The plant was already running when the automobile arrived.
Smoke rose from all four stacks, steady and even. The sound carried beyond the gates—low, continuous, chanical. No interruption. No fluctuation.
Napoleon stepped out without waiting for assistance.
He paused for a mont and looked at the structure.
The system had held overnight.
Giroux joined him, folder in hand.
"Twenty-four hours at full load, Sire," he said. "No shutdown. No deviation outside minor adjustnts."
Napoleon gave a short nod.
"Reports?"
"Filed. All within operational limits."
Napoleon turned toward the entrance.
"Good. Then we open it."
The yard had been cleared.
Where workers had stood the previous day, a different arrangent had taken place. Barriers had been set along the approach. Officials gathered near the entrance, positioned in order of rank. Military officers stood at fixed points along the periter.
Beyond them, a smaller group had been allowed inside.
Journalists.
They stood behind a marked line, holding equipnt that set them apart from the others. Box-shaped caras mounted on tripods. Assistants beside them carrying plates and tools. So adjusted their lenses, others checked angles, waiting.
Napoleon walked past them without slowing.
The clicking began imdiately.
Light flashed in quick intervals as the caras captured each step.
Napoleon did not react.
He entered the main hall.
Inside, the plant continued its operation.
Nothing had been stopped for the opening.
The furnaces burned. The steam lines carried pressure. The turbines rotated without pause. Operators remained at their stations, focused on their work.
Napoleon walked to the control section and looked at the panels.
"Status."
"Full output maintained, Sire," the chief engineer replied. "Three hundred gawatts stable. No system faults."
Napoleon looked across the gauges.
All aligned.
He turned back toward the entrance.
"Bring them in."
The officials entered first.
They moved in controlled order, guided along a fixed path that kept them clear of operational zones. So looked at the machinery. Others at the panels. None spoke.
Then the journalists were allowed inside.
The caras followed.
Tripods were set quickly. Assistants moved with practiced coordination, loading plates and preparing exposures. The clicking resud—louder now within the enclosed space.
Napoleon stood at the front of the control section.
He did not raise his voice.
"This facility is now operational," he said.
Giroux stood slightly behind him, silent.
Napoleon continued.
"Three hundred gawatts of continuous output. Sustained by a daily input of twelve hundred tric tons of coal. Integrated systems tested under full load."
The caras flashed again.
"This is not a demonstration."
Another flash.
"It is infrastructure."
The operators did not look up. The turbines continued turning.
Napoleon shifted slightly, one hand resting against the edge of the control panel.
"It supports industry in this region to further our industrialization goals, making the Empire of France the most modernized state in the world. And to get that, we need electricity."
A pause.
"And this power plant does so without interruption."
The engineer remained still at his side.
Napoleon looked toward the journalists.
"This is one plant."
The clicking continued.
"There will be more."
Outside, the stacks continued to release smoke.
The sound of the plant carried across the riverbank, steady and unchanged.
Napoleon stepped away from the control section and walked toward the exit. The journalists followed, capturing each movent as he passed through the hall.
No part of the system slowed for them.
No section paused.
By the ti he stepped outside, the flashes continued—short bursts of light against the gray sky.
Giroux joined him again.
"Distribution lines are already active," he said. "Nantes is receiving power."
Napoleon looked toward the distance, where the lines stretched beyond the facility.
"Good."
"Maintain this," he said.
"Yes, Sire."
Then monts later, it was question ti.
"Sire, what will this plant power first?"
Napoleon did not turn imdiately. He kept his eyes on the stacks for a second longer before answering.
"Industry," he said. "Factories in Nantes and the surrounding districts. talworks, machine shops, rail production."
The man nodded, signaling to the others. The clicking resud.
Another voice followed.
"And beyond industry, Sire?"
Napoleon shifted his gaze toward them.
"Rail lines. Workshops. Storage facilities. Any system that requires continuous output."
He paused briefly.
"And later, urban districts."
A few of the journalists exchanged quick looks at that.
"Urban, Sire?"
Napoleon nodded once.
"Lighting. Public infrastructure. Controlled distribution within cities."
More flashes.
A third journalist spoke.
"How significant is this developnt for the Empire?"
"It is a significant developnt for the empire to achieve energy sufficiency."
Another stepped forward.
"Sire, will there be more facilities like this?"
Napoleon gave a short nod.
"Yes."
"This is just one in a series. Additional plants will be constructed along major industrial zones and transport corridors."
Giroux remained still at his side.
Napoleon went on.
"Locations will be selected based on access to coal, water, and distribution lines. Each facility will support a region. Together, they will form a network."
The word settled.
"Network," one of the journalists repeated quietly.
Napoleon did not respond to that.
Another question ca.
"How soon, Sire?"
"Work has already begun on site planning," Napoleon said. "Construction will follow without delay."
"And funding?" another voice asked.
Napoleon looked at him.
"It is allocated with so help from the private enterprises."
A few of the journalists shifted at that.
"Private enterprises, Sire?" one asked.
Napoleon kept his gaze steady.
"They will supply materials, labor, and transport capacity where required. The state directs the frawork. They execute within it."
The caras clicked again.
"And control, Sire?" another pressed. "Will these facilities remain under state authority?"
"Yes," Napoleon said. "Core infrastructure remains under state control. That does not change. Okay gentlen, that would be all, thank you for coming
The journalists did not step back at once.
A few of them continued writing, finishing their notes before lowering their equipnt. Others signaled to their assistants, securing the cara plates and packing the tripods with practiced movents.
Napoleon did not wait for them to clear.
He turned and began walking toward the automobile.
"For more inquiries, just drop by to the headquarters of Ministry of Energy."
Giroux followed imdiately, closing the folder as he moved.
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