The Unification Protocol dictates that the United Aquarian States submit to a highly centralised, imperial government in times of great need. The New State would be able to guide humanity and ensure its continued survival. The Protocol was passed by the Joint Presidential Council of the UAS, the then-president Vorian Senlas, and the leadership of the Red Sector, a supranational organisation that supports the Terran government in Aquarius. Opposition to the unification claim the new state, ATIS, is moving towards a fascist, totalitarian regime with an authoritarian stance on government.

However, The ATIS Council has stated that, in this new age of human kind, the previous Federal Government would be unable to maintain the peace and prosperity of the Aquarius Cluster: and a more Imperial approach was needed. Indeed, during the cycles after the declaration of the formation of ATIS, the newly restructured Aquarian Imperial Navy would be deployed to many neutral systems, marking the beginning of the New Age. ATIS and the UAS Co-exist, with the ATIS Council essentially replacing the Federal Government of the UAS; absolute authority is firmly with the Imperial Government, but the UAS Government essentially acts as a Civilian Federal Government within Imperial Space.

In recent decades, the Aquarian Terran Imperial Government has announced a more direct involvement of the RSEC organisation in the political affairs of the State, with a more direct approach to dealing with anything it considers 'seditious' against the Red Sector Director's 'vision' for humanity. Ultimately, absolute control and power over humanity in Aquarius lies with the enigmatic Director, a position of authority that transcends even the Chairman or Chairwoman of the ATIS Council, perhaps from the very start of the Imperial Era.

ATIS is known for an authoritarian stance on government, with a heavy-handed approach to removing 'dissidents', utilising a complex and highly ambitious surveillance system implemented in the 45th century, known as the Universal Compliance Network. Despite these draconian measures to state security, life for the average Aquarian citizen remains relatively luxurious, mirroring the bygone days at the height of the Old Federation, leading many would-be rebellions to question whether the Imperial approach was indeed the correct way to retain order.

Despite the high level of security and prosperity to the Aquarian economy and industry ushered in by the Imperial Age, members of the 'Old Guard' of the Old Federation, the UTN, lead a major uprising in the 45th century which would become known as the Aquarian Civil War. Despite initial success, the ATIS military, lead by the Imperial Navy, mostly regained control of the entire cluster by the dawn of the 46th century; quelling any unrest and establishing the Imperial States as the undisputed authority for humanity in the Aquarius cluster, and beyond.

==Society==

The Aquarian Terran Imperial States implements a pseudo neo-Marxist approach to socio-economics with hybridised elements from capitalism and other staple human political and economic systems. Imperial Society is heavily centralised; the Imperial Government controls essentially all important elements of the state, including all the primary means of production - implying a communist-type model on the surface. However, due to the unique application of the ATIS Council and Directorship, the societal system is more fine-tuned for stability without being subject to vices that plague rulers of other civilisations; such as greed and lust for power.

Imperial Society is incredibly balanced compared to previous human civilisations in areas such as individual standing (social class) and 'wealth' (though this term can only be loosely applied to ATIS society). Individual citizens do not have the drive to accumulate huge wealth through greed or will to increase their standing or acquire new luxuries - typical reasons that drove entrepreneurs of the past, and lead to the rise of corrupt corporations driving profits through any means. Under the Director's Vision, the Imperial State provides all the basic necessities for human life to a respectably luxurious standard, such as housing, food, energy and security. All basic fundamental aspects of Imperial life.

All citizens, regardless of anything, are entitled to these basic provisions under the state (provided they accept employment position). For example, when a child is raised and reaches adulthood; they may apply for an independent living accommodation from the state in order to 'leave the nest' so to speak, and begin their journey as an adult. Instead of being forced to seek employment through a competitive application process where corporate employers have full control over applicants; the Imperial State provides the citizen with a series of pre-established positions based on the citizen's selected strengths and weaknesses.

==Employment==

For example, upon reach adulthood, the citizen would be contacted by the Imperial Citizen Employment Department (ICED) and would be given a list of positions that they can select. Selection is guaranteed as it is a cornerstone of ATIS societal functionality that each and every citizen has their place in the economy and is equally valued. Work placements are optional and the citizen can choose which one they prefer, as previously mentioned, based on their profile (created from their own choices in a survey and neurological analysis of their strengths and weaknesses). However, employment is mandatory; the citizen cannot, legally, choose to not accept the employment.


The ICED provides in-position support to all citizens to help them get accustomed to their new roles (including those with disabilities and impairments - all citizens are considered equally valuable under the Director's Vision). Once in employment; citizens are not paid a 'wage' in the same sense as previous human civilisations. This employment is considered in exchange for the provision of all basic fundamentals such as housing, security, energy; all of these fundamentals are provided for 'free' without any financial commitments, and are completely secure under Imperial Law (cannot be evicted under law, or have energy cut off, etc). The only expectation is the citizen performs their chosen employment role as best they can.

Employment is provided by state-operated institutions and industry. There are no privately owned corporations or industrial elements in Imperial Territory; driving home the Marxist-style approach to governance. Production, including all the basic essentials such as food and energy for housing, are created and maintained by state-operated facilities that offer the aforementioned positions (such as engineers, overseers, workers, etc). Every citizen is expected to do their part, and is legally required to do so.

Despite this, citizens are provided additional 'compensation' by the state for the acquisition (exchange of credit for services and goods) of luxury items and non-essential items such as advanced entertainment systems and luxury foods, for example. These are provided by the Standard Imperial Currency Credit (SICC), also known as Imperial Credits. ICs are not the same as 'money' from previous civilisations. They are only accepted by state-operated institutions and state-sanctioned exchange outlets ('retailers'); citizens are not permitted (or able) to transfer ICs between them in private transactions in any capacity. However, the trading of non-standard luxury items (those not covered under the Basic Imperial Rights) is permitted. For example; if a friend did a favour, the citizen might give them a luxury item such as a Premium Beverage, as a gift or 'recompense'. Citizens are not encouraged to develop reliance on 'private transactions' for access to luxury items, however.

==Welfare==

All citizens under the Imperial Flag, are, as standard, provided with Basic Imperial Rights that are essentially an extension of Human Rights established thousands of years before; on the Old Earth. Basic Imperial Rights also consider Housing, Food, Energy and Security to be fundamental rights for every citizen. In addition, all citizens are provided state-operated health-services which are operated and maintained by the combined employment positions of any citizens who opted to be placed in a medical role. The state-health services are extremely well developed and capable; and accessible to every single citizen regardless of anything. It is their fundamental right. For example, an advanced Ambulance would be deployed to provide emergency care for a Hygiene Operative ('janitor') working in a food production facility with the same urgency and care as a senior overseer at a government installation; under the Director's Vision; it is a cornerstone of Imperial Society that the Health Services (and all other BIR services) are developed enough so that every single human being is given absolute equal care and 'service'. If there are not enough ambulances, for example; then there is a major breach in the Imperial Law and the Director would intervene directly to balance the system immediately. This expectation of 'always sufficient' resources for the population prevents any requirement for 'selective prioritisation' on emergency service or care, though such systems are likely in place for emergency situations such as cataclysmic events.

People born with developmental disabilities, such as neurological conditions (Autism, Down's Syndrome, etc) or physical disabilities (malformed, etc) are given full access to the care and support they need under the Director's Vision. For example, a person with Down's Syndrome would be supported to find their chosen Employment Position by the ICED just like any other person; even if that disabled person cannot, technically, output the same contribution as others, they still receive the full benefits of being an Imperial Citizen as the Director's Vision requires that all citizens are treated equally. Furthermore, these disabled people have access to the Imperial States' best treatments and therapies to increase their quality of life and support their health, like any other citizen. There is no privatised Healthcare or Welfare system and the only requirement of having access to the best medical care the States' can provide is that they are a Registered, Compliant Citizen.

Opposition to the extra support (resource drain) of disabled people diminished rapidly as society began to accept forced equality under the Directorship; assisted in no small part by the extensive and extremely well developed Law Enforcement System.

It must be noted, however, that human genetic modification and editing has almost completely removed the faulty genes responsible for severe conditions that impair a person's quality of life, however, 'radical mutation' is still a problem for humanity, and such disability-support systems are in place for any Imperial Citizen afflicted with a developmental disorder.