As with before, the weights are rather heavy for holding in one hand. This seems to be lessened over time, though. There's a slight pause after Abarim's comment, at which point a small, silvery device appears in his lap.
The clattering is coming from 6 people in the back of the kitchen wrapping what looks like clay blocks in form-fitting plastic. It appears that military rations, although much more nutritous and sustaining than those of older days, are just about the only food here.
Secundus rapidly runs through every book in the library, as well as the information contained within several terminals. Most of it is things he already knows, things that aren't really important, and outright useless things such as fantasy novels, although the terminals contain more detailed information on magicules and the research conducted on them. It also contains the procedures for creating, maintaining, and training various specialized security forces, which include the Nothings. They specifically undergo rigorous psychological and genentic reconditioning to be able to affect magicules in the first place, along with decades of training to get the technique to functional levels.
A few personel chuckle at the frilly military dolls.
There's a distinct pause from the Nothing. Sieg hears "Come again?"
Everet looks up from his crossword. "We don't know exactly, but what little contact we maintained with orbiting stations shows that whatever is out there is way beyond what we can handle. Britain is a barren rock incapable of supporting life, Jerusalem is just a hole that reaches deep into the earth's mantle, China appears to be on fire, and the list goes on, really. Sea levels have also risen by nearly a dozen meters as well, which was likely done by the creature that came through the Nexus on top of Iceland."