AFTER six years on the air, the future of the “X-Files” is still cloudy.

When the show begins its seventh season on Nov. 7, it may be the beginning of the end for the long-running series about two FBI agents who specialize in investigating the paranormal.

Ever since David Duchovny – who plays one of the two FBI agents – announced last summer that he wanted to leave the show when his contract expired at the end of this year, the show’s eighth season has been in jeopardy.

Creator Chris Carter’s contract with the show is also expiring this year. Now there has even been talk that his co-star, Gillian Anderson, wants to leave – maybe even before her contract expires in 2001.

“I wouldn’t make any assumptions about who is going to be with the show or not, or even if the show is going to be around next year, ” said Carter.

“I think there are way too many things that need to be worked out, decided and cleared up before anyone can say clearly what is going to happen.

“It always [complicates matters] when contracts run out and there are situations unresolved, whether they be legal or creative. There are always things to work out. Through the life of the show, there have been many re-negotiations. This is just another one,” Carter said.

When the show finally does end, Carter said the story will continue on the big screen in films that will star both Duchovny and Anderson.

“We’ll have to know [if the series will continue in 2000-2001] sometime after the new year,” Carter said. “Probably in February or March for sure.”

A lawsuit filed by Duchovny slamming Fox – which airs the series -has confused matters further.

The suit claims that the studio cheated him out of the show’s licensing fees when it undersold “X-Files” repeats at bargain basement prices to Fox affiliates and cable stations. In the suit, Duchovny also alleges that Carter knew about the deal and didn’t tell him.

The lawsuit has not damaged their relationship Carter said. “We’re doing great work, David and I just co-wrote a script. I don’t see that there are any issues [between us].” Meanwhile, Carter has been focusing much of his energy on “Harsh Realm,” a militaristic sci-fi that takes place in a virtual world. The show, which debuts Friday, has already taken some heat for its violent content.

“We’re using war as a backdrop, as a metaphor, [and] a playing field,” Carter said. “We’re going to have situations that suggest these things and we don’t want to shy away from them because it would be irresponsible to the subject matter and unreal to expect war to take place without any sort of consequence – even though it’s in virtual reality.”