December 26th, 1800. In the Cour Carrée, just in front of the Louvre. Napoleon and his family arrived at the Exposition des produits de l'industrie fran?aise, the Exhibition of Products of French Industry.
The event aimed to showcase new inventions and innovations made by French industries. As they stepped into the bustling courtyard, the atmosphere was filled with excitement and curiosity. Stalls and pavilions surrounded them, each proudly displaying the latest achievements of French ingenuity and craftsmanship.
Napoleon, accompanied by his wife Ciela and their children Francis and Aveline, took a keen interest in the displays.
At one stall, they witnessed a demonstration of a newly developed mechanical reaping machine, an invention that held the promise of transforming agriculture by significantly improving the harvesting process. The contraption's sharp blades efficiently sliced through the crop stalks as it advanced, neatly gathering the harvested crops in its wake. Napoleon and his family observed with interest how this ingenious machine could now accomplish what used to take countless hours of laborious work by hand.
Not far away, a crowd of intrigued spectators gathered around that even surprised Napoleon.
"Is that what I think it is?" Napoleon uttered, and Ciela nodded her head, sharing her husband's expression.
"I think it is."
Together, they walked towards the stall. Of course, they were accompanied by the Elite Consular Guards, and the people who were watching suddenly made way for the incoming First Consul.
The people were in awe at Napoleon's presence, gasping and whispering to each other. The crowd couldn't believe their luck to witness him at the exhibition.
At the stall that had caught their attention, they found an extraordinary invention—a steam tractor. Its chimneys billowed with steam as it hummed with power. The contraption was a sight to behold—a large, wheeled machine that could plow through fields with ease, revolutionizing the way farming was done.
He had been thinking of introducing a steam tractor to this world but the fact that someone had invented it first in this era astounded him.
"Who is the inventor of this contraption?" Napoleon asked the booth attendant, who was equally awed by the presence of both Napoleon and the excited crowd witnessing the First Consul.
"Uhm…that would be Pierre Renault, Your Excellency," the booth attendant said.
"Pierre Renault…" Napoleon repeated, that name was kind of familiar. But before he could contemplate for more, the inventor, Pierre Renault made his appearance.
"Oh…Your Excellency, it's an honor…to have you here," Pierre Renault said with a mix of excitement and nervousness as he approached Napoleon and his family.
Napoleon smiled warmly, extending a hand to shake Pierre's. "The honor is mine, Mr. Renault. I must say, the invention of yours intrigues me, what does it do?"
"Your Excellency, it works basically like a steam locomotive. But this tractor, instead of transporting people, revolutionizes farming," Pierre Renault explained with enthusiasm. "With its powerful steam engine, it can pull heavy plows through fields, effortlessly cutting through crop stalks and preparing the soil for planting. This means farmers can cover vast areas in a fraction of the time it would take with traditional methods, significantly increasing their productivity and crop yields."
"Where did you get the idea of building this?" Ciela stepped forward curiously.
"Ah…Madame Bonaparte, you may not have known this but I work in your railway company, specifically at the motive power depot, fixing steam generators."
"Wait…really?" Ciela exclaimed softly.
"Yes, Madame Bonaparte. Your reaction is understandable as there are a lot of us working in the motive power depot," Renault chuckled.
"So that's where you get the idea of building this tractor huh?" Ciela noted. "That's ingenious."
"I wouldn't say that, Madame Bonaparte. His Excellency, Napoleon is beyond ingenious when it comes to innovation."
"Don't sell yourself short," Napoleon waved off Pierre's modesty. "It takes a great mind and a skilled craftsman to bring an idea to life. "France would definitely need your invention to propel our agricultural sector into a new era."
"Thank you, Your Excellency," Renault bowed his head respectfully.
After that, they left the stall, with a sense of fulfillment welling up inside Napoleon. It was the best scenario that could have happened. He envisioned inventing technology and modern concepts, and the people of this era would then take inspiration from those ideas to develop technologies that should not exist for another five or six decades.
"Where should we go next?" Napoleon glanced over his shoulder, looking at Ciela.
"Hmm…do you want to take the children to the stall where the telephone is displayed?" Ciela asked.
"What's a telephone?" Aveline asked, looking up at her father.
"We'll show you," Napoleon said, as he gently grabbed Aveline's hand, and together, they headed towards the stall showcasing the telephone.
At the telephone stall, they were met with a peculiar-looking device—a contraption with wires, a receiver, and a transmitter. A knowledgeable attendant eagerly demonstrated its operation, explaining how one could speak into the transmitter and be heard by another person at a distant location who had the same apparatus.
Aveline's eyes widened with wonder. "Papa, you mean we can talk to someone far away just like that?"
Napoleon nodded, pleased to see his daughter's curiosity. "Yes, my dear, do you want to try it with your brother?" he offered.
Aveline and Francis exchanged glances. The idea of testing a new technology personally intrigued Francis to the point he nodded eagerly.
"I'll take care of it," Ciela said, before walking over to the attendant and explaining to them the situation. Since it was their company, the booth attendant and the engineers who were working on the booth granted Ciela's request, setting up Aveline and Francis to have a unique experience with the telephone.
They made sure the two children were safely positioned in front of separate telephones, each holding the receiver in one hand and the transmitter in the other.
With a smile, Ciela said, "Alright, Aveline, you can start. Speak into the mouthpiece and let Francis hear your voice on the other end."
Aveline took a deep breath, her excitement evident on her face. She spoke into the transmitter, "Hello, brother, can you hear me?"
On the other end, Francis listened intently, his eyes lighting up as he heard his sister's voice through the receiver. "Yes, Aveline! I can hear you clearly!"
The children giggled with delight, feeling a sense of amazement at the magical communication happening before them. They took turns talking back and forth, marveling at the wonders of this new invention.
Napoleon placed an arm around Ciela's shoulder. Ciela rested her head on Napoleon's shoulder as they watched their children enjoying the telephone.
"You know, our kids are lucky," Napoleon commented.
"What do you mean?" Ciela asked.
"Well, because they would be able to witness more modern technology in the future. Think about it, the first human-powered flight, automobiles, steam and oil-powered ships…" Napoleon explained.
"Then isn't that great? We are building a better future for our children," Ciela said.
"Speaking of children…I don't think I'm satisfied with us only having two," Napoleon grinned.
"You want us to have more?" Ciela glanced at Napoleon, her eyes widening in joy.
"If you don't mind," Napoleon said. "I mean, we are still too young, to have more right?" Napoleon said.
"Okay," Ciela simply said.
"Wait, are you serious?"
"I am," Ciela confirmed.
As they were having their moments, someone approached them.
"Uhm…Your Excellency."
Napoleon and Ciela turned around to the person who called. They recognized him in an instant. It was Antoine Lavoisier.
"Your Excellency, Madame Bonaparte, it is an honor to see you and your beautiful family here at the exhibition."
"The pleasure is ours, Monsieur Lavoisier," Ciela replied, offering a nod of respect.
Napoleon and Ciela noticed the two people standing behind Antoine. "Who are they?"
"Ah…Your Excellency, Madame Bonaparte, the person behind me is Jacques-No?l Sané, a naval engineer, and Jean-Charles de Borda, a mathematician and a member of the French Academy of Sciences. They have something to show you."
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