Creating an Industrial Empire in 19th Century Parallel World

Meanwhile, in the main office, Caroline arrived, wearing a modest gray dress that flowed down to her ankles, matched with a pearl necklace and a simple hat to complete her ensemble. She approached Poul and Jonathan, who were busy flipping through piles of papers and jotting down notes on their notepads, in preparation for the important business meeting with their investors later that afternoon.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," Caroline greeted them with a curtsey. "How are the preparations coming along?"

Poul and Jonathan looked up from their work and exchanged glances. They were both pleasantly surprised to see Caroline, who was usually preoccupied with her own work in the bedroom.

"We are doing fine, just one final preparation and we are ready to go," Poul replied.

"So, you are leaving now?" Jonathan asked as he noticed her appearance. "I will escort you out and take you personally to the carriage."

"That won't be necessary Jonathan," Caroline shook her hand dismissively. "You two still have work to do and I'll only bother you."

"No I insist," Jonathan said, standing up from his chair. "Besides we are done for the most part and Poul could handle the rest, right Poul?"

Poul, whose eyes remained fixed on the papers in front of him, nodded his head in agreement.

"Of course, I can manage the rest. You should see Caroline safely to her carriage, Jonathan."

"See? What did I tell you?" Jonathan flickered his gaze back to Caroline, who smiled back at him warmly.

"Well, it can't be helped then."

Just as the two were about to leave the office, Amelia suddenly burst into the room, panting and out of breath. Her hair was disheveled and her blouse was untucked. Poul, Caroline, and Jonathan turned to look at her, surprised.

"What's the matter, Amelia?" Caroline asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

"Yeah, you are messed up," Poul added.

"There has been an accident!" Amelia gasped, steadying her breathing. "There was an accident in the assembly line of air brakes where a worker got crushed by a wooden crate that was being hoisted by the overhead crane."

Poul's hand froze, and the pen that he was using to write slipped from his grasp.

"What the…"

"As for why I am looking like this, the elevator wasn't working so I used the stairs and rushed all the way up here," Amelia explained.

"What happened to the worker? Is he alright?" Jonathan inquired, a lace of concern in his voice.

Amelia shook her head, "No, he's not. He's in critical condition. Doctor Williams and the newly hired nurse are performing surgery on him as we speak."

"What a worst day to have an accident," Poul grumbled. "What happened to the assembly, did they shut down the operation as per the protocol?"

"Yes, the factory manager issued an immediate shutdown of the assembly line and ordered an investigation into the incident," Amelia replied. "It's going to take some time before we can resume production."

Caroline frowned, "This is terrible news and terrible timing. If this got out, your two biggest clients might back down. You have branded your company as a company that prioritizes safety and quality. This incident will surely damage that reputation."

"No need to overreact, this is just an accident," Jonathan chimed in. "But we must isolate the case, so Amelia, you are tasked with keeping the information inside the factory, tell every factory manager in every enterprise to shut their mouth on disclosing information about the accident."

"I'll see what I can do, Mr. Axelsen," Amelia bowed her head in acknowledgment.

"I'll go visit the assembly line to see it for myself," Poul grabbed his coat and headed for the door.

"As much as I would love to help but I have a train to catch, Jonathan. I'll see you in New York," Caroline said before shifting her gaze to Amelia. "And you Amelia, make sure to help these two, this is a delicate situation and you need to handle it carefully."

"Of course, Lady Dupont, I will help Mr. Nielsen and Mr. Axelsen. Have a safe trip back to New York," Amelia replied, nodding her head respectfully.

"Let's go," Jonathan placed a hand on Caroline's back and led her out of the office, leaving Amelia alone in the office.

Once everyone left the office, Amelia let out a sigh. What was supposed to be a big day for the company had turned into a nightmare. She knew that the accident could have serious consequences for the company, and she needed to act quickly to minimize the damage. She decided to start by informing the other factory managers of the incident and instructing them to keep it confidential.

Amelia picked up the phone and started making calls, hoping to contain the situation before it spiraled out of control. She knew that the longer it took for them to get a handle on the situation, the worse it would be for the company's reputation.

***

While Amelia was doing her part, Poul was about to do his role. He arrived at the assembly line for air brakes that had been shut down earlier. Walking beside him was the factory manager, who oversees the production of the air brake.

"Where is the overhead crane whose cable snapped?" Poul asked the factory manager who was rubbing his hand nervously.

"Uhm, it's over there, Mr. Nielsen," the factory manager replied.

"And its operator?" Poul added.

"The operator is in the break room and is being held there for a moment. Overhead operators are responsible for doing preliminary inspections of the crane before an operation, but it seems that this operator neglected to do so," the factory manager explained with a hint of frustration in his voice.

Poul walked over to the crane and inspected it carefully, noting down every detail. He saw that the cable had snapped due to wear and tear, which is damage that can be easily detected.

"Can I see the pre-operation checklist for this crane?" Poul asked and the factory manager handed it to him.

Poul perused the checklist and was disappointed when he found out that the part regarding the cable inspection was not properly filled out. It was clear that the operator did not conduct a thorough inspection before operating the crane.

"This is pure negligence," Poul sighed. "Well since you already issued a cease of operation and was justified, just make sure that all the operators of overhead cranes are retrained on safety protocols before resuming operations."

The factory manager nodded, understanding the severity of the situation.

"Is there anything else sir?" The factory manager asked.

"Yes, I want to see the operator."