  We explore the question of what happens with the asymptotically highly damped
quasi-normal modes ($\ell$ fixed, $|\omega_{I}|\to\infty$) when the underlying
spacetime has no event horizons. We consider the characteristic oscillations of
a scalar field in a large class of asymptotically flat spherically symmetric
static spacetimes without (absolute) horizons, such that the class accommodates
the cases that are known to be of some sort of physical interest. The question
of the asymptotic quasi-normal modes in such spacetimes is relevant to
elucidate the connection between the behavior of the asymptotic quasi-normal
modes and the quantum properties of event horizons, as put forward in some
recent important conjectures. We prove for a large class of asymptotically flat
spacetimes without horizons that the scalar field asymptotically highly damped
modes do not exist. This provides in our view additional evidence that there is
indeed a close link between the asymptotically highly damped modes and the
existence of spacetime horizons (and their properties).
