Arthur C. Clarke's Venus Prime

Her code name is Sparta. Her beauty veils a mysterious past and abilities of superhuman dimension—the product of advanced biotechnology. Renowned professor J.Q.R. Forster's expedition to Jupiter's moon has not proven uneventful. In a blaze of ice-geysers, the moon's surface rips off to reveal an ancient alien world-ship. But when the world-ship suddenly hurtles through space toward a black hole, Sparta must find out why from a mysterious alien. This star-spanning adventure brings together the genius of Arthur C. Clarke and the talents of distinguished science-fiction writer Paul Preuss.