Sci-fi series flies into political mine fieldsat=.</p><p> FI al N 5 Noo 6 o 3 By MICIIAEL GIITZ WffiftTxn:llf:ffi genetic engineering, religious fun- damentalism andthewar on terror? "24"?"TheWestWing"? How about "Battlestar: Galac- tica," the SCI FI hit airing Fridays at 10 p.m. that's swiftly become one of the most complex, dark and political shows on TV Creator Ron Moore - who worked on shows like "Star Tlek The Next Generation" and "Roswell" - admits the sci- ence-fiction setting is a blessing. "You can get away with things in the science-fiction universe that contemporary drama can't touch," says Moore. "Wed be in endless arynments over the content of the show if we were actually dealing with Repub- licans and Democrats and Chris- tians and Jews and Muslims and the war on terrorisn!" he says. "But give it a sci-fi spin, and you get a nice big pass." On the show humans are bat- tling Cylons, which can look just like them but are not "really" alive.</p><p> The show depicts the sexu- al abuse and torture of Cylons ("You can't rape a machine," one human says blithely.) And the entire story begins with a 9/Il- style attack that wipes out virtu- ally the entire human population. "Battlestar Galactica" also mess- es with viewer expectations.</p><p> Mary McDonnell plays President Roslin,the Secretary of Education who became president after everyone else in succession was wiped out by the Cylons.</p><p> She seemed a classic liberal, but circumstances have forged Roslin into a steely leader convinced of her messianic destiny.</p><p> Recently, she outlawed abortion (muchto her own dismay) because humans are down to their last 54,000 people arrd need every baby.</p><p> Then there's the fascinating rwist that the humans worship multiple gods while the Cylons ar-e monotheistic.</p><p> The result is a fanbase that cross- es the political spectrurn And sci- fi's traditionally liberal fans have come nose-to-nose with "Galacti- ca's" core fans ofthe original series, who tended to be Republican "I see more conservative fansites and commentarythanl think is usu- al for science fiction," says Moore, a poliiical-science major in college who likes to tweak both sides. "I think the show is at its best when it makes you vaguely uncomfortable and makes you sort of wonder if you're rooting for the wrong side." Tricia Helfer - who plays Num- ber Six, a beautiful Cylon - finds herself fielding questions from fans about monotheisrrl polytheisrrl the influence ofBuddhism on the show and other wildly complex issues. "Sometimes on my Web site I get asked questions I can't even begin to answer," Iaughs Helfer. "I've gone to conventions and sometimes I worry I'm letting them down."*
