Forever Cynosure

Forever Cynosure

September 10, 2025

She trolled all of the parties. She made sure all she saw, saw her. If scant coverage was all that was needed, then scant coverage was all she displayed. Few knew her name. Fewer cared. The police did when she was discovered floating face down in the pool by the maid who came in early to clean after last night’s gala.

It took two hours to clear the house for the owners to return. Three days for a cause of death. A pair of middle aged parents, somewhere, were waiting for a call that may never arrive. The coroner’s report indicated she was indeed beautiful, perhaps just north of 20 years old. She bore no visible indications of drug use. He found no drugs in her system. She had no tattoos or pierced ears. Her teeth were perfect and all present. How she died was the mystery. There was just no reason for her to be dead. He secretly hoped that “Guinevere Doe” (he could not call someone this beautiful, Jane) would arise by her own volition to detail the details of her last night.

Eventually, the press got wind of five standard deviations from the mean occupant in body locker 3C. They paid someone who ironically worked harder for bribes instead of wages to sneak in and take pictures of Guinevere, violating the privacy of the deceased and the laws of the state.

Either way, her picture, still of a very beautiful young woman, issued a level of fame she never knew when alive. By the end of the day, Guinevere was nationally known. By the conclusion of the week, she was an international star.

She became a meme. Others wanted to be her. Those who looked close, wanted to look closer. She could not act, or sing, or dance, but agents and producers everywhere wish she could. They wanted a star that would never be late, never be an embarrassment, and (most of all) never age. Dead Guinevere was worth her weight in gold.

And, in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), everything was possible, so she would be.

Last night, on one of those talk shows the critics love, but nobody watches, Lady Guinevere sang her new song, “I Wasn’t Always This Way.”

The coroner finally discovered Guinevere Doe’s cause of death. He could have included it in his final report. However, “I Wasn’t Always This Way” was his daughter’s favorite song. It would be a pity to ruin her birthday party this weekend.

Lady Guinevere would be there, via hologram, singing. No one should try pronouncing Ribose-5-Phosphate Isomerase when such a vision performs.