One of a bunch of (gnomes? Gremlins? Small aliens?) collectively piloting a mech that was indistinguishable from a middle-aged human male on the outside. Spent a bunch of time working a nondescript job for some reason. The mech's immediate subordinate at the job was a grumpy young woman. The pilots decided to be gruff but kind, and eventually the woman apparently decided that they weren't the worst boss in the world. It's not clear how much the pilots actually cared and how much of it was just because it made the job easier. After a while, the mech needed to be decomissioned for some reason. During the somewhat lengthy and invisible-from-the-outside shutdown procedure, the woman visited. She and the mech discussed transfer of duties in fairly neutral tones, as if it were just any other workday. Finally, just before the mech finished powering down and as most of the collective streamed out of the control room, the woman's voice came over the speakers one last time: "...papa?"
