Parker puts up a hand defensively, "Hey, I was only curious. A lot can happen in a year. My first mate had a relationship that was a flash in the pan. It lasted two weeks. He thought they were made for each other, then they just fell apart quietly. She left at the next port and we never heard from her again."
He comments on Al, "Yeah, Al, apparently, is an A.I. construct inside of an android. He's got an odd sense of humor; but seems harmless enough when you're on his good side."