Anthroresearch Associates is a subsidiary of Yoyodyne.
They do research for the government on the effects of high altitude
and space flight; for the National Safety Council on automobile
accidents; and for Civil Defense on radiation absorption. SHROUD-
synthetic human, radiation output determined- and SHOCK-synthetic
human object, casualty kinematics- are dummies used for the tests.
Profane gets a job as a night-watchman here through Space/Time Employment and he ends up holding conversations with the dummy SHROUD.
The junkyard on Route 14 south of Elmira, NY mentioned to Profane by SHROUD was actually owned by the father of my next- door neighbor. (It may not be important to you, but I think it's interesting).
Chapter 13: In which the yo-yo string is revealed as a state of mind--368-369: Profane arrives at Anthroresearch Associates. He loses his job and bids farewell to SHROUD, who tells him, "Keep cool. Keep cool but care."