Early in the morning, the train station was already bustling with activity. The platforms were packed with people; some travelers dragged suitcases, others hauled burlap sacks, and their clothing came in every imaginable variety.
Sharp-eyed porters rushed toward potential customers the moment they spotted them. Train whistles, the thunderous rumble of wheels, and the shouts of men and neighing of horses all blended together.
On the platform, workers were straining to cram passengers and cargo into the trains.
The station's only patch of peace was perhaps the little chapel beside the platform. Though its role as a relief station had diminished greatly, passersby would still go in to receive a piece of flatbread for good luck.
Sunlight streamed through the enormous glass windows onto the ground, and together with the massive steel framework, it easily called to mind the legendary Crystal Palace.
In fact, the Austrian Empire's engineers had been imitating Crystal Palace. Though they did not think it particularly remarkable, if other countries had one, then their own country ought to have one too.
Franz felt it was utterly meaningless, but the public loved it, so he said nothing more.
On Vienna's streets, bicycles had already surpassed horse-drawn carriages to become the city's most common means of transportation. Compared with expensive, clumsy carriages, bicycles were cheaper and far more nimble when weaving through the city.
The newsboys chose even cheaper kick scooters. With canvas bags on their backs, they threaded through the crowds, waving freshly printed copies of the Vienna Daily in their hands.
"Extra! Extra! The Empire has conquered another colony!"
"New fertilizer will change the world! An age when everyone can eat their fill is about to arrive!"
In truth, another major reason bicycles had developed so quickly was that, unlike carriages, they did not leave manure