"Oh -- fast-penta..." Right, that's apparently not a multiuniversal concept. "It's a drug. Mostly used for interrogations. People call it a truth serum, but it isn't really, just a powerful sedative, and it yields about the same results. It doesn't hurt, though, and there aren't any lingering effects."

Sonia crosses her arms over her drawn up knees, resting her cheek against her arm, and looks sideways at Tucker, some of her hair falling into her face. Her expression is serious as she considers that question deeply. "Get it up to galactic standard, for one. Barrayar lost all its advanced tech after the wormhole collapse. We've barely even had a chance to incorporate that into our society... I mean, you have to understand, by the end of the Time of Isolation, we were still riding horses. And then all of a sudden, we get to see the rest of the Nexus again, and they have tech like we never dreamed. Horseback to space flight in one generation. That's a hell of a jump, don't you think?"

She regards her gloved hands, tugging idly at a loose thread on one finger. "The terraforming was never finished, either. And this planet...is unique in a lot of ways. The people here are hardy, passionate...if only they'll change." She makes a slight face. "The culture here is...outdated and backwards, by galactic standards. No women in the army, arranged marriages, all that. But galactics know a little something about equality."