The Living Labyrinth — Ian Stewart

Sam, Jane, Felix, Elzabet (Lady Elzabet of Quynt), Tinka, and Marco have just been brought together -- a mismatched bunch over-qualified and highly-skilled trainees from all corners of the Concordat, assembled on a small moon, taking their first steps toward Starhome and qualification as galactic citizens. If they survive. Their first training mission: An extended voyage to the boondocks, out in space where all they can damage is themselves (and a very expensive Da Silva starship). Everything starts out normally, quantum jumping through space-time congruences as the Da Silva drive does... until it's very much not normal, and they find themselves in a very strange place indeed. True to form of the best science fiction, Living Labyrinth wrings out every angle of a plausible scientific idea all inside a great story. Together and apart, Ian Stewart and Tim Poston have written many best-selling science and science fiction books, and highly referenced math/scientific journal articles.