The chaos cage had no physical infrastructure in any conventional sense. Instead, it consisted of gray energy resembling an unobservable mist of countless particles somewhere between tiny solids and waves.
This energy could not interact with the outside world or power any instrument. It stripped away the concepts of space and time, leaving anyone or anything caught inside like a small animal trapped in a bog-unable to struggle free or move, sealed firmly within.
Through a one-way gap in logic, the "Creator" watched the two metallic humanoid life-forms inside the chaos cage and the blue curtain of light between them, which seemed to have been frozen into a fixed shape.
"Doom, and Skynet. I never expected you to have a way of contacting the outside world that could escape even my notice."
"Setting a life-form from a universe under my control against me? Why didn't you choose someone from Earth-616, or someone from my own universe, to cause trouble for me?"
"Do you really think you stand a chance?"
Beneath his cold mask, Doom's eyes were bloodshot. He stared quietly at Ultimate Reed, as though trying to see through that alien-shaped helmet.
Skynet had no interest whatsoever in talking to Ultimate Reed. She trusted only the results of her own calculations and could not be bothered with any pointless expenditure in the meantime, even information leakage on the level of idle conversation. She was a data life-form, after all. As long as Ultimate Reed's algorithms could not surpass hers, he could not interfere with her.
"Are you scared?"
Doom could not see the expression of Ultimate Reed, who never took off his helmet, but he was still more than happy to provoke him.
The "Creator" fell silent for a moment. Low, intermittent laughter drifted out from beneath his helmet.
"I