SOCRATES

SOCRATES (SOCket-RATchet-ESsentials) is a major engineering, manufacturing, and scientific R&D conglomerate within the Saberverse.

Founded in the Oborhim Sector, several thousand years ago in the modern Epoch Reigning Almanac; by the time we are introduced to them in the 1987 OUTLAW issue #487, titled "Zaffer's Birthday Extravaganza" (where an agent of their "sales department" attempts to coax Brent Brannan, inebriated amidst his birthday celebration aboard (****)'s yacht, into signing a contract to adorn a SOCRATES-made version of his Jet Marshal outfit), they are among the top fifteen of the current collective galaxy's Most Powerful Corporate Entities.

One of their most notorious products was the Distinct Thought Obelisk, a large, octagonal "brick" that served as a mobile intelligence base for the rapid evolution, and inclusion into planet-conquering armies, of small, garden-based Lermms. The whole thing blew way out of proportion. Millions perished. Maybe even billions. SOCRATES purged their R&D and PR departments, essentially reforming themselves and devoting countless funds and several years to transforming their image. Despite this, the "clean-up" team created to make the DTO problem vanish proved inefficient in handling the task, therefore, a countless number of the obelisks remain. And so does the inconvenience of random armies of millions of "smart Lermms".

The other most well-known of SOCRATES' screw-ups was the PATHS(Portals Across Time Handled Skillfully) program(which succeeded the Distinct Thought Obelisk by many years). Designed and presented as "a unique experience for families to explore different eras throughout time, together". It was a disaster. The utter failure of the portal system to conform to the programming alone was a catastrophe. Add all the random pre-existing armies of millions of Smart Lermms to the picture. SOCRATES created a colossal debacle that will haunt the galaxy, not only in our timeline but infinite others as well, for eras to come.

After attempting to reverse-engineer Zaffer the Jet Marshal's armor, SOCRATES came up with a line of "high-grade" armor designed specifically for Oborhim's new, experimental "Turbo Sheriff" faction. Inaugural day: on a warship with a huge audience in attendance, the suits--immediately upon activation--backfired in numerous ways. Every single one of the six-hundred and forty-seven Turbo Sheriffs were killed, as was a large percentage of the others in attendance. The warship itself was scrapped afterward. Trillions have been spent by SOCRATES to cover the whole thing up.