With the 50 HP steam engine fully built, now they had to decide what to do with it.

At the office, Hollen and Ernest were facing one another with the desk separating them.

"So, Ernest, what do we do with that huge steam engine we just built?"

"Well, it’s a waste if we aren’t going to use it. I’m going to integrate it with our Helmarte Soap Works," Ernest decided.

"Wait, won’t that mean a full refurbishment of the factory? Won’t that affect production?"

"It will, but it’s going to take less than two weeks," Ernest said. "The waterwheel and the steam engine work similarly. They both drive a main shaft which transfers power throughout the factory. We aren’t rebuilding the entire factory. We’re only changing the source of power."

Hollen rubbed his beard.

When Ernest explained it that way, it sounded much simpler.

But experience had taught him something important.

When Ernest said something was simple, it usually wasn’t.

"How much is this going to cost?"

Ernest immediately smiled.

"I knew that would be your next question."

"Because somebody has to ask it."

The young businessman pulled a notebook from his desk and opened it.

"The good news is that most of the expensive part is already finished."

He pointed toward a sketch.

"The engine exists."

Then another.

"The power transmission system already exists."

Then another.

"The factory building already exists."

Hollen leaned forward.

"So what needs changing?"

"We build a dedicated engine house beside the factory."

"Why do we need to build a house for that steam engine? Can it just be inside the factory?"

Ernest shook his head.

"You know how much steam it releases?"

Hollen frowned.

"A lot?"

"A tremendous amount."

Ernest stood and walked toward the chalkboard mounted on the wall.

He quickly sketched a simple diagram.

Factory.

Engine house.

Connecting shaft.

Then he pointed toward the engine house.

"The boiler generates steam continuously."

He drew several arrows.

"The firebox burns coal all day."

More arrows.

"The chimney releases smoke all day."

Then another set.

"And the engine itself requires maintenance."

Hollen studied the drawing.

Slowly, understanding appeared.

"So you’re separating it from the factory."

"Exactly."

Ernest nodded.

"If a pipe leaks, I don’t want steam released inside a production area."

"If a fire starts, I don’t want it spreading through the factory."

"If workers need to repair the engine, I don’t want production completely disrupted."

The forge owner crossed his arms.

That made sense.

Steam was useful.

But it wasn’t harmless.

The prototype engine had already taught them that much.

Boilers became hot enough to burn skin instantly.

Steam leaks could injure workers.

Coal created smoke.

None of those things belonged near soap production.

"So the engine house is basically a power station."

Ernest smiled.

"That’s exactly what it is."

For several moments, Hollen stared at the drawing.

Then another thought occurred to him.

"Wait."

"What?"

"If the engine is in a separate building, how does it power the factory?"

Ernest pointed toward the connecting shaft he had drawn.

"The flywheel rotates here."

Then he traced the line with his finger.

"The shaft carries that rotation into the factory."

Then another sketch appeared.

Belts.

Pulleys.

Line shafts.

Machines.

The same system they were already using.

The only difference was the source of power.

The waterwheel sat outside and turned the shaft.

The steam engine would do the same.

Nothing else changed.

At least not immediately.

Hollen slowly nodded.

"You know, the more you explain it, the more obvious it sounds."

"Most inventions are like that."

"What do you mean?"

Ernest leaned back against the desk.

"Once somebody builds them, everyone wonders why nobody thought of it sooner."

That earned a laugh from the forge owner.

Then the office door opened.

One of the factory managers stepped inside carrying several ledgers.

"Sorry to interrupt."

"Go ahead," Ernest said.

The manager placed the reports on the desk.

"Production schedules."

Then another ledger.

"Maintenance plans."

Then another.

"And inventory forecasts."

Hollen looked at the growing stack.

Then looked at Ernest.

Then at the stack again.

"You realize we’re going to have to shut down production during installation."

"Only partially."

"Partially?"

Ernest nodded.

"We’ll do it in stages."

That got both men’s attention.

"We move one section at a time."

He opened another notebook.

Several diagrams filled the pages.

"The curing rooms continue operating."

"The warehouses continue operating."

"The packaging sections continue operating."

"We only stop the machinery directly affected by the modifications."

The factory manager blinked.

"You already planned all this?"

"I started planning it two months ago."

Neither man seemed surprised anymore.

At this point, Ernest planning something months in advance had become normal.

The manager reviewed the sketches.

Then looked impressed.

"If this works, downtime should be minimal."

"That’s the idea."

Because every day the factory sat idle meant lost production.

Lost production meant lost sales.

And lost sales meant lost profits.

Ernest had no intention of allowing that.

Ernest had no intention of allowing that.

He walked toward the window once more.

Outside, the old waterwheel continued turning steadily.

The machine had served them well.

Without it, Helmarte Soap Works might never have grown beyond a small workshop.

But its limits had become increasingly obvious.

The future stood inside Hollen’s forge.

Fifty horsepower of iron.

Coal.

Steam.

And engineering.

Soon, that future would arrive here.

And when it did, Helmarte Soap Works would become something no other factory in Belfast could match.

The kingdom’s first steam-powered factory.

A thought that made Ernest smile.

Because if the steam engine performed the way he expected, the next challenge wouldn’t be convincing people that steam power worked.

The next challenge would be keeping up with everyone who wanted one. And it’s going to earn them a lot of money.

After all, the moment the merchants find out about the practicality of the steam engine, they’ll get one to power their factories. Heck, he might even land a meeting with the royalty of this kingdom for this invention.

And speaking of royalty, the Royal Family of Belfast, for sure, they already heard of him.