A sense of collective defiance links the survivors of Buenos Aires, ravaged by lethal toxic snow and beetle attacks in 'The Eternaut', with those opposing Javier Milei's government cuts. The fictional narratives of radio messages like "We're not beaten, resistance lives", "You're not alone, together we're strong", and "Long live resistance, long live Argentina", have leapt from screens into the real streets of South America.

Protesters, challenging state dismantling, wear masks resembling the series’ hero, Juan Salvo, which also shield them from pepper spray used by riot police. They don hoodies and suits for warmth and anonymity, and next week, retirees, scientists, doctors, teachers, feminists, disabled individuals, and press workers will march as one.

The upcoming June 4th gathering reflects a more coordinated opposition to Milei's government, found outside Congress—where internal disputes entangle peronists, macristas, and radicals. The meeting point is the central plaza opposite Congress, the birthplace of 'Ni Una Menos' a decade ago, a movement against gender violence that has spread nationwide.

Despite over 200 annual femicides, feminism has claimed victories elsewhere. Victims of violence have broken their silence, teenage pregnancies have halved, abortion was legalized, parity electoral lists and transgender labor quotas were approved—measures Milei now opposes.

“Ten years of Ni Una Menos, ten years of collective action,” this movement emphasizes in its call to the streets. Instead of rallying on June 3rd, the anniversary of the first mobilization in 2015, Argentine feminists will join retirees’ Wednesday protests.

“Old ways work, Milei” reads banners held weekly in front of Congress by men and women who worked for decades but now receive insufficient pensions. This phrase echoes engineer Favalli's line in 'The Eternaut' when reviving old vehicles and devices.

The minimum pension, received by seven out of ten retirees, is $300, teetering on poverty’s edge. Protesters gather at the entrance of the Chamber of Deputies, circling the legislative building, but each Wednesday clashes with police occur: some pensioners march on the road instead of the sidewalk, met with batons, rubber bullets, and tear gas. Result: 406 injured this year, reports the Center for Legal and Social Studies.

Teachers, doctors, and scientists are also summoned for the June 4th rally. Last Wednesday, as if cloned in a lab, hundreds of 'Eternauts' wearing masks and raincoats emerged from Buenos Aires’ Scientific and Technological Pole to protest low wages and brain drain threatening research continuity. Salaries have shrunk 40% to 50% due to inflation since Milei took office a year and a half ago. Funding for equipment purchase and repair has been slashed, and new fellowships at Conicet, Argentina’s main science body, are stalled.

“We’re working far below our potential, making do with what we have, some outside subsidies, and sharing reagents and machines, but research lines are breaking,” warned Manuel de la Mata, Conicet adjunct researcher at the Institute of Physiology, Molecular Biology, and Neurosciences (Ifibyne). “We dream of repairing equipment costing thousands of dollars, but when they break or reach service end, it’s impossible,” confirmed Ifibyne’s deputy director, Anabella Srebrow. This molecular scientist compared the current situation to "consuming from a fridge without restocking: when it's gone, it's gone."

Public hospitals in Argentina face similar critical conditions, especially high-complexity ones dependent on national government. The Garrahan, a pediatric center drawing families from across the country for complex treatments or rare conditions, exemplifies this. Last Thursday, its staff staged a 24-hour strike and marched to the Health Ministry demanding fair wages. The hospital performs around 10,000 surgeries annually, including half of Argentina’s transplants for children and adolescents. Despite the required specialization, doctors’ salaries fall short of the $950 needed for a basic family basket. In essence, they rely on family aid or supplement their demanding work with other jobs.

Garrahan, along with public universities, stands as one of the few barriers against Milei's media onslaught. Yet, its healthcare quality erodes daily. The government's public response accuses hospital authorities of irregularities and warns against increased health investments. Meanwhile, negotiations to resolve the conflict have started but remain fruitless.

A week ago, the actor portraying 'The Eternaut', Ricardo Darín, used empanada prices to illustrate Argentina’s high living costs and many citizens’ struggle to get by. “No one saves themselves alone,” echo Netflix ads, protest banners, and t-shirts. Fiction and reality mirror each other.