Key Item
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Key Item is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. One of a connected series of stories concerning the fictional supercomputer Multivac, it was originally to be printed in a periodical Computers and Automation in 1959, but not used. It later appeared in the July 1968 issue of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
Multivac refuses to work and teams of scientists can't locate the fault. Then one scientist realises that the instructions that have been given to the computer are missing one key item; they need to say 'Please'. When that's added to the instructions, the computer goes back to work.
After all, a machine has feelings - when it isn't a machine anymore.
