Armaran "elves" (an exotic strain of engineered humanoid, with a relatively small pure population) are almost as well known for the startling subtlety and effectiveness of their variations on standard superluminal drive and gate recipes as for their nigh-obsessive love of strangeness, dubious philosophy and hands-on experimentation -- on beings that are not themselves, of course. This one is displaying the amazing cheerfulness their species is also famed for.