We Can't Verify Your Subscription Status - whilst in remote offline location

I was recently on a ten day shoot for a household name tv company.

It was a remote location with no wifi / internet / phone signal. Sat phone only.

On the first day, I set some files processing overnight. Unfortunately, the generator stopped during the night and my laptop battery ran down to zero. Upon restarting my machine the system date had gone back to 1970. I reset the clock and loaded after effects. I was then met with the menu:

'We Can't Verify You're Subscription Status'

Unable to validate online the only way to use the software was to click 'try again' every 5 seconds. 

Why is there no key, no serial, no activation code to overcome this issue?

I was left looking incompetent in the end having to use the producer's laptop to get basic work completed.

{Mod Note: Moving from the Creative Cloud Services board to Accounts}