[Well, even a big lady like you wouldn't be able to do much in the field, so just enjoy the fact that it's not freezing cold inside the bubble.]

That's right. From what I've gathered, it's caused by some kind of dimensional tear exists in proximity to this planet. Our captors, the Malnosso, call the resulting effects of whatever afflicts this planet "Shifts". They use as test subjects to try and master this Shifting ability, with their purported goal in being to find a way to return us to our native universes.