A little clarification is in order here. Whether the topic has suddenly become relevant or not, correcting misinformation is always in order.

The game uses the computer's system clock at all times when it's actively running, not just when it boots up. A sudden jump in the system clock is quite plausible, since most operating systems regularly compare the system clock to an Internet time standard and adjust it if it's incorrect (which it could easily be after a power failure). That doesn't happen immediately upon boot up. I've thoroughly tested what happens when the clock is changed while the game is running, and it's often dramatic.